Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Counsel Robert Hur on Thursday released a scathing report on President Joe Biden, sparking criticism from Democrats.
Hur, a Republican, had worked in President Donald Trump's administration before being appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the DOJ's investigation into the classified documents that were found at Biden's Delaware home and his Penn Biden Center office in Washington, D.C.
Hur served as U.S. attorney in Maryland from 2018 to 2021, after being appointed by Trump. He is a recipient of the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award for superior performance and excellence as a lawyer.
Garland hired Hur in an effort to ensure a non-partisan investigation, but now people, particularly Democrats, are criticizing Hur for what they see as a political report on his findings and are blaming Garland for allowing parts of it to be released.
Hur said Biden would not face criminal charges in his classified documents case, partly because he cooperated in the investigation and that the evidence "does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," but also because "Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
Biden's age and mental competence have already faced criticism during his reelection campaign, and the release of the report seemed to heighten concerns about the president being fit enough for another term, especially among conservatives who support former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination.
"I know what the hell I'm doing," Biden said Thursday night following criticism from Republican lawmakers.
In a statement earlier in the day, Biden said he was "pleased" that no charges were brought against him.
"I cooperated completely, threw up no roadblocks, and sought no delays," Biden said. "Over my career in public service, I have always worked to protect America's security. I take these issues seriously and no one has ever questioned that."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Biden's campaign via email for comment.
When announcing Hur's appointment, Garland said: "I am confident that Mr. Hur will carry out his responsibility in an even-handed and urgent manner, and in accordance with the highest traditions of this department."
Hur said: "I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service."
Garland said in a letter to Congress on Thursday that he attached the final report and any other materials provided by Hur "without any further additions, redactions, or other modifications. Releasing these materials in full to you and to the public is in the public interest and is consistent with legal restrictions and Department policy."
He added that Biden "has decided not to assert executive privilege over any part of the report or its appendices."
Hur Faces Criticism
Joe Scarborough said on his MSNBC show Morning Joe on Friday in reaction to the report: "There's so many people that immediately heard these random conclusions, irrelevant conclusions, politically charged Trump-like ramblings, who, first of all, wondered why in the world he would put that in the report, his neurological assessment of Joe Biden, and secondly, why Merrick Garland would release garbage like that in a Justice Department report."
Scarborough is a lawyer and former politician. He used to be part of the Republican Party but now identifies as an independent.
MSNBC legal analyst Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor with 20 years of experience at the DOJ, told Alicia Menendez, who is filling in for anchor Nicolle Wallace, on Deadline: White House on Thursday afternoon that the report was "entirely inappropriate," adding: "It is also exactly what you're not supposed to do, which is putting your thumb on the scale that could have political repercussions."
MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance, who goes by Joyce Alene on X, formerly Twitter, said enough is enough.
"Move on. Robert Hur crossed a line. He doesn't need any more oxygen," the former federal prosecutor in President Barack Obama's administration wrote on X on Friday.
Newsweek reached out to the DOJ via online form for comment.
Update 2/9/24, 5:05 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Correction: 2/25/24, 6:23 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to reflect that Alicia Menendez was filling in for anchor Nicolle Wallace.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more
