President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek any redactions in a report by the Justice Department special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents. The White House Counsel's office spokesman, Ian Sams, stated that the White House had completed a review of the report and that the president had declined to assert privilege over any portion of it. The report has now been sent to Congress, but it may still include some redactions of classified information by the Justice Department.

The yearlong investigation focused on the improper retention of classified documents by Biden during his time as a senator and vice president. Classified records were found in 2022 and 2023 at his Delaware home and a private office he used between his service in the Obama administration and becoming president. This investigation is part of a wider probe by the Justice Department that has led to charges against former President Donald Trump for unlawfully retaining highly classified documents after leaving office.

The completion of the White House review for potential executive privilege concerns was the final step before the release of the Biden report. Attorney General Merrick Garland assured Congress that he was committed to disclosing as much of the document as possible once the review was complete.

Special counsel Robert Hur, who conducted the investigation, has submitted his report to Garland. The attorney general stated that he found no instances of inappropriate conduct on Hur's part. It is unlikely that Hur will bring charges against anyone as a result of the investigation. Garland intends to make the report, its appendices, and a letter from counsel available to Congress once the White House review is finished.

The investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents dates back to his final days as vice president in January 2017. Documents that should have been sent to the National Archives and Records Administration ended up in storage facilities and a private office used by Biden. Classified material was even found in Biden's garage in Delaware. The existence of these documents was first reported by CBS News, prompting the appointment of Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the matter.

The resolution of this investigation is significant for President Biden, who is facing reelection in a highly polarized political climate. While the outcome of the probe is expected to lift a legal cloud over Biden, criticism of his handling of classified records could affect his ability to attack Donald Trump, his potential opponent in the upcoming election. Trump is currently facing charges for hoarding top-secret files at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing FBI efforts to retrieve them.

Trump and other Republicans are likely to question the legitimacy of the investigation, as it was initiated by the Biden Justice Department. However, Attorney General Garland appointed Hur, a Republican and former U.S. attorney for Maryland during the Trump administration, to handle the Biden investigation. This was done to address concerns of bias and conflicts of interest. Unlike the Trump investigation, which resulted in numerous felony charges, the Biden probe is not expected to lead to any indictments. Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, and there is no evidence to suggest that Biden engaged in comparable conduct or willfully held onto classified records.

The White House's response to the discovery of classified documents was delayed and incomplete. The Justice Department's investigation was not disclosed until January 2023, despite the discovery of classified documents two months earlier. Biden's personal lawyers found a "small number" of classified documents as they closed an office at the Penn Biden Center. The FBI then conducted a thorough search of Biden's Delaware home and seized documents with classified markings. Biden's lawyers also found a document with classified markings at his Rehoboth Beach home. In a voluntary interview with Hur's team, Biden provided information regarding the investigation.

Overall, the completion of the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents marks a significant development in his presidency. The report will soon be made available to Congress and the public, shedding light on the findings and potentially impacting the political landscape leading up to the next election.