“Serious aggravating facts”: Special counsel’s Biden report implicates Trump

Unlike Biden, Trump "also obstructed justice by enlisting others to destroy evidence and then to lie about it"

By Igor Derysh

Managing Editor

Published February 9, 2024 11:25AM (EST)

Donald Trump (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)
Donald Trump (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)

Special counsel Robert Hur’s report explained why former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case is worse than President Joe Biden’s.

Hur, who was appointed as a U.S. attorney by Trump and picked as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland, in a report released on Thursday concluded that Biden “willfully” stored classified documents after leaving office but would not face charges in the probe.

Though Hur’s commentary about Biden’s memory drew criticism from legal experts, the report also detailed why Trump’s case seriously differs from that of the current president.

“It is not our role to assess the criminal charges pending against Mr. Trump, but several material distinctions between Mr. Trump’s case and Mr. Biden’s are clear. Unlike the evidence involving Mr. Biden, the allegations set forth in the indictment of Mr. Trump, if proven, would present serious aggravating facts,” the report said.

“Most notably, after being given multiple chances to return classified documents and avoid prosecution, Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite,” it continued. “According to the indictment, he not only refused to return the documents for many months, but he also obstructed justice by enlisting others to destroy evidence and then to lie about it. In contrast, Mr. Biden turned in classified documents to the National Archives and the Department of Justice, consented to the search of multiple locations including his homes, sat for a voluntary interview. and in other ways cooperated with the investigation.”


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