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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), top Republican of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines requesting a classified briefing by January 26, 2023 following reports of the presence of classified information at a second location after an initial discovery of classified information that then-Vice President Joe Biden removed and maintained custody at a non-governmental office space in Washington, D.C. The presence of classified information at these separate locations could implicate President Joe Biden in the mishandling, potential misuse, and exposure of classified information. It raises significant questions as to why then-Vice President Biden maintained custody of such highly classified documents, who had access to them, and for what purposes.

Read the full text of the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland here.

Read the full text of the letter to the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines here.

Excerpt of the letters:

"The recent media reports that highly classified documents from the Obama presidency have been discovered in at least two locations: one being the Penn-Biden Center, a private, unsecured, non-governmental office space in Washington, D.C., and the other being an unknown location. News of these discoveries raise significant questions regarding the handling and safeguarding of classified intelligence materials. The one location we do know about, the Penn-Biden Center, was the Washington, D.C.-based office for operations of then-Vice President Biden’s private partnership with the University of Pennsylvania.

"The presence of classified information at these separate locations could implicate the President in the mishandling, potential misuse, and exposure of classified information. It raises significant questions as to why then-Vice President Biden maintained custody of such highly classified documents, who had access to them, and for what purposes. The question of further dissemination of these documents, and potential use by those involved in the business of the unknown location and the Penn-Biden Center, or any other possible use, must be fully examined.

"In its oversight role, Congress has a responsibility to investigate and to evaluate the actions of Executive Branch agencies to ensure they are accountable to the people. The information I seek will further my understanding of both the enforcement and application of federal law and policy concerning the handling of classified intelligence information. It will enable me to determine the sufficiency and impartiality of federal law enforcement, as well as the propriety of Executive Branch actions."  

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