The FBI conducted a 13-hour raid on Joe Biden's family home, resulting in the discovery of classified documents that could become a political and legal liability for Biden as he prepares to run for president in 2024.
Following the discovery of several batches of secret documents from Biden's time as vice president at a former Washington office space and the president's Delaware residence on Friday, the discovery was made as part of a Justice Department search.
The incident, which first surfaced in a CBS News report on January 9, severely surprised the White House and tarnished Biden's reputation as a return to competence and honesty after Trump's scandal-plagued tenure.
More issues: The Republicans in Congress are getting ready to look into it. In the Biden case, Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel, following a similar move in the Trump case in November.
Trump's relief? It is widely believed that the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigation into his handling of the vice presidential documents weakens the ongoing investigation into Trump's case by a different special counsel.
Will anyone be detained? Prosecutors may be able to demonstrate that no one willfully broke the law, but it's not clear whether anyone will face criminal charges. In any case, the Justice Department has long maintained that a president in office cannot be indicted.
What makes it so secretive? The use of a private email server that contained classified information shattered Hillary Clinton's hopes of becoming president. By refusing to turn over top-secret records to the government after leaving the White House, Trump has put himself at risk for criminal charges.
What are documents classified? In 1951, US President Harry Truman established the Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential classification system. Except for high-value records, classified documents are typically declassified after 25 years.