You may remember how the inquiry into Clinton’s own unauthorized possession of secret information was handled in a comedic, unprofessional manner. Basic due diligence wasn’t performed, and immunity deals were given out as if it was candy, leaving no one liable in the end. When Clinton eventually agreed to an FBI interview, she set the rules and was given free reign to control the story.
Even then, James Comey was pushed to write the phrase “gross negligence” from the statute to exonerate the former Secretary of State since it was evident that the FBI’s treatment of the Clinton case was intended to give them a way out.
Is it still happening in relation to Biden? If the most recent news is any indicator, it certainly seems that way. CNN claims that there is no 302 form to document the meeting with Patrick Moore, the Biden attorney who “discovered” the first cache of records at the Penn Biden Center.
“The original review was conducted by US Attorney John Lausch’s office, and Robert Hur, who was named special counsel last week, is now in charge of the Biden materials probe. Hur will build on Lausch’s work and perhaps re-interview some witnesses in the now-criminal probe. Hur is still putting together his team.”
“The initial assessment was more casual, so Moore’s interview by Lausch’s office wasn’t documented in a “302,” the form the agency uses to report official interviews.”
That certainly is convenient. After speaking with the only person who might be able to shed light on the origins of this entire drama, the FBI decided to deviate from standard protocol. I’m sure this was a coincidental decision. Why was Biden at the Penn Biden Center cleaning out his office? Where exactly were the documents discovered? Why, if they were kept in a box as claimed, was this attorney peeking inside it?
But given the “informal nature of the original review,” I guess we’ll never know. Naturally, a keen observer could wonder why it was “casual.” Given the fanfare about Donald Trump’s alleged possession of sensitive documents (he said he had declassified them as president), you would think the FBI would recognize the significance of following the rules when it comes to Joe Biden in order to prevent any perception of partiality.
But no, the FBI immediately resumed considering Democratic leaders as allies rather than as potential targets of an investigation. Moore was interrogated swiftly, and the agents involved skipped the 302 altogether. What a coincidence that’s how they decided to handle things, huh?
The FBI’s supporters will say, “Oh, but Merrick Garland ordered a special counsel.” But that didn’t happen until the third document discovery, and the investigation’s reach is so narrow that the only option left is to accept Biden’s word for everything. Maybe this problem might have been handled with a feeling of urgency and seriousness if the president had been a Republican.
