Federal investigators on Wednesday searched President Biden’s home in Rehoboth, Del., after classified documents were discovered in recent weeks at Biden’s Wilmington, Del., home and his old Washington, D.C., office.
Multiple outlets reported Wednesday morning that FBI personnel were at Biden’s home in Rehoboth.
Bob Bauer, an attorney for the president, said the search was being conducted with “the President’s full support and cooperation” and was not shared in advance under standard Department of Justice (DOJ) procedures.
“Under DOJ’s standard procedures, in the interests of operational security and integrity, it sought to do this work without advance public notice, and we agreed to cooperate,” Bauer said in a statement.
“The search today is a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have further information at the conclusion of today’s search.”
No classified materials had previously been discovered at Biden’s Rehoboth residence.
The Justice Department is investigating how classified materials from Biden’s time as vice president ended up at his Wilmington home and an office he used at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.
Lawyers for the president found documents with classified markings in the old office in November, then discovered classified materials at Biden’s home in mid-December and early January.
Justice Department officials last month searched Biden’s Wilmington home with consent from the president’s team after lawyers found roughly a dozen documents with classified markings in his garage and an adjacent room.
As part of that search, agents collected notes and other materials from Biden’s time as vice president and a senator.
Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the FBI had also searched Biden’s old Washington, D.C., office he used from 2017-2019 after a small number of classified documents were found there in November.
The White House and Biden’s personal lawyers have emphasized their cooperation with the Justice Department throughout the process.
They have noted that Biden’s team alerted the Justice Department and National Archives upon finding classified materials, drawing a contrast with former President Trump’s refusal to cooperate in turning over highly sensitive documents he took with him upon leaving the White House in 2021.
Lawyers for Biden have also highlighted that the FBI searches of Biden’s homes and office have been done with the consent and knowledge of the president’s team.
The document controversy has created a political headache for Biden in the meantime, with House Republicans pushing forward with investigations into the situation just as the president readies a possible reelection bid.
An NBC News poll published on Sunday fund 67 percent of respondents said they were concerned about classified documents being found at Biden’s Delaware home, the same percentage who said they were concerned about classified materials being found at Trump’s Florida property.
Updated at 10:07 a.m.