Special counsel won't charge Biden in classified documents probe

WASHINGTON -- US special counsel Robert Hur on Thursday announced that he will not be advising any charges against President Joe Biden regarding his management of classified documents during his time out of office.

The yearlong investigation uncovered evidence that "President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified information after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," according to Hur's report.

"We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter," said the report. "We would conclude the same even if there was no policy against charging a sitting president."

The items in question comprised classified documents concerning military and foreign policy matters in Afghanistan, and notebooks containing handwritten notes by Biden regarding national security and foreign policy issues that involved sensitive intelligence sources and methods.

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation retrieved these items from various locations within Biden's Wilmington, Delaware residence, including the garage, offices, and basement den, according to the report.

While the findings may raise questions about Biden's judgment, they do not meet the threshold for recommending legal action, according to Hur's assessment.

"We conclude that the evidence does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," the report said.