President Biden worried over 'embarrassing details' in report that could help Trump win

Joe Biden's team is reportedly worried that a report by special counsel Robert Hur on the president's handling of classified documents that could damage his re-election chances

Joe Biden is said to be worried about some "embarrassing details" in a report about how he handled classified documents which could be damaging to his administration and help Donald Trump be elected for a second term.

The US president's team is reportedly concerned that an investigation by special counsel Robert Hur could bring to light some details, including photos, on how Biden stored documents which could hurt his re-election campaign. The probe was launched after documents from the time Barack Obama was president were discovered in Biden's garage at his home in Delaware and in a private office he used.

Aides fear that Trump, who is also running for a second term, will try to use the report to harm Biden's campaign. While Biden is not expected to face criminal charges in the case, it is feared the report will be politically damaging.

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The president previously defended storing documents from his vice presidency in his garage, saying: "By the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage, so it's not like they're sitting out on the street." He added: "People know I take classified documents and classified materials seriously. I also said we’re cooperating, fully cooperated with the Justice Department’s review."

Attorney General Merrick Garland named Hur in January 2023 to handle the politically sensitive investigation in an attempt to avoid conflicts of interest. The investigation is separate from special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the handling of classified documents by former President Donald Trump after he left the White House.

Smith’s team has charged Trump with illegally retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and then obstructing government efforts to get them back. No evidence has emerged to suggest that Biden engaged in comparable conduct or willfully held onto records he wasn’t supposed to have.

In October, Biden was interviewed by Hur at the White House. Spokesman Ian Sams said the interview was conducted over the course of two days.

"As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation," Mr Sams told reporters. "We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time."

"Since the beginning, the President has been committed to handling this responsibly because he takes this seriously," White House lawyer Richard Sauber said. "The President's lawyers and White House Counsel's Office will continue to cooperate with DOJ and the Special Counsel to help ensure this process is conducted swiftly and efficiently."

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It is hardly unprecedented for sitting presidents to be interviewed in criminal investigations. President George W. Bush sat for a 70-minute interview as part of an investigation into the leak of the identify of a CIA operative. President Bill Clinton in 1998 underwent more than four hours of questioning from independent counsel Kenneth Starr before a federal grand jury.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team negotiated with lawyers for then-President Donald Trump for an interview but Trump never sat for one. His lawyers instead submitted answers to written questions.

Classified documents are to be declassified after a maximum of 25 years. Biden served in the Senate from 1973 to 2009.