Biden 'surprised' about classified files discovery at former office
President Joe Biden has said he was surprised to learn in November that classified files had been found at his former private office. "I don't know what's in the documents," he said, indicating his lawyers had advised him not to ask about the contents. The papers, discovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, reportedly contain briefings on foreign countries. A Republican congressional committee says it will investigate. The oversight panel "is concerned that President Biden has compromised [intelligence] sources", James Comer, its chairman, said. The US justice department is also reviewing the matter. Mr Comer, who represents a Kentucky district, has asked the White House to turn over its documents and communications related to the classified materials. In its request, which is not a legal summons, it also wants a list of people who had access to the office space, by 24 January. In Mexico City, where he was attending a summit, Mr Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he was "co-operating fully with the review." The documents relate to his time as vice-president, his lawyer has said, but their level of classification or why they were there is unclear. Citing a source familiar with the matter, CNN reports that the 10 classified files include US intelligence memos and briefing materials covering topics including Ukraine, Iran and the United Kingdom. They were found at a private office he used from 2017 to 2020 as it was being cleared out by one of his lawyers, in a manila folder that was labelled "personal", according to CNN.
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