--- title: DOJ Ends Biden Classified Docs Investigation With No Charges description: An investigative report of the probe’s findings, which will be critical of Biden’s actions, could be released this week. canonical: https://time.com/6692166/biden-classified-documents-justice-department-investigation-findings-charges/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-02-07T03:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:30.209Z article:section: Politics og:title: DOJ Ends Biden Classified Docs Investigation With No Charges og:description: An investigative report of the probe’s findings, which will be critical of Biden’s actions, could be released this week. og:url: https://time.com/6692166/biden-classified-documents-justice-department-investigation-findings-charges/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb9cc373020034635/698a48504ee26213cb31ca18/department-of-justice.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Justice Department og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: DOJ Ends Biden Classified Docs Investigation With No Charges twitter:description: An investigative report of the probe’s findings, which will be critical of Biden’s actions, could be released this week. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb9cc373020034635/698a48504ee26213cb31ca18/department-of-justice.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # DOJ Investigation Into Biden’s Handling of Classified Documents Ends With No Charges > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=90903b4f-ca75-4500-88ed-3e69e8113728&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Biden Urges GOP Leaders to ‘Show a Little Spine’ and Stand Up To Trump on Border Bill [Watch (HLS stream): Biden Urges GOP Leaders to ‘Show a Little Spine’ and Stand Up To Trump on Border Bill](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ipgp5Bd5.m3u8) (3:04)  _Published 2024-02-06. President Joe Biden lashed out at Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress on Tuesday, accusing his chief political rival of sabotaging a bipartisan bill that could meaningfully address dysfunction at the border, and GOP leaders for caving to Trump's demands._ by [Chris Strohm / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Chris Strohm / Bloomberg Contributor Feb 7, 2024 3:00 AM UTC  The Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2024. The Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2024. J. David Ake—Getty Images by [Chris Strohm / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Chris Strohm / Bloomberg Contributor Feb 7, 2024 3:00 AM UTC The U.S. Justice Department won’t file charges against President Joe Biden over his handling of [classified documents](https://time.com/6245949/biden-classified-documents-investigation/) found in his private home and office, but an investigative report will be critical of his actions, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday. Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was appointed last year by Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead the Biden documents probe, has wrapped up the investigation, according to the person, who asked not to be identified disclosing non-public information. Findings in the investigation report could be released this week, the person said. The development removes a major legal and political weight hanging over Biden as he runs for reelection. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing felony charges related to his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The White House and Hur’s office declined to comment. A spokesperson for Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The decision not to charge Biden isn’t surprising because it involved seemingly innocent mishandling of classified papers that were uncovered and immediately handed over for investigation, according to Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor. ### More From TIME “Trump’s case is completely different because of his willful refusal to return the documents,” McQuade said. “And the cover up.” Hur was appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of documents with classified markings found at Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home as well as at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, which Biden used as an office after his vice presidency. The decision is sure to fuel Trump’s claims that the Justice Department is stacked against him. He faces charges in four different criminal prosecutions, including charges in two federal cases like the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case. Hur, a Republican, is a former U.S. attorney for Maryland nominated by then-President Trump. White House officials have argued the Biden case is different because the president’s staff turned over classified documents voluntarily when they were discovered and invited the search of his Delaware home. Biden conducted a voluntary interview with investigators in early October. “The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement at the time. “As we have said from the beginning, the president and the White House are cooperating with this investigation.” Garland gave Hur the power to explore the “possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records.” The Justice Department also previously closed a review into whether Vice President Mike Pence mishandled classified documents with no charges filed. The department sent Pence’s lawyer a letter in June saying he’d been cleared in the review. Another special counsel, Jack Smith, was appointed by Garland in November 2022 to investigate classified materials found at Trump’s Florida home. Prosecutors have charged Trump with obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim classified material improperly removed from the White House after his term ended in early 2021. ## Transcript For much too long as you all know, the immigration system has been broken and it's long past time to fix it. That's why I months ago. I instructed my team to begin negotiations with the bipartisan group of senators is seriously and finally fix our immigration system for months. Now, that's what they've done working round-the-clock through the holidays over the weekends. It's been an extraordinary effort by Sanders Langford Murphy and Cinema result of all, this hard work is a bipartisan agreement that represents the most Fair UMaine reforms in our immigration system in a long time and I chop a set of reforms to secure the Border ever. Now all indications are this bill won't even move forward to the senate floor. Why a simple reason Donald Trump Donald Trump thinks is bad for him to let Oakley therefore. He doesn't even know it helps with the country. He's not for he'd rather weaponize this issue than actually saw it. So for the last 24 hours, he's done nothing. I'm told a reach out to Republicans in the house and the Senate and threaten them and try to intimidate them to vote against this proposal and looks like they're caving frankly. They all went to the American people to show some spine and do what they know to be right bottom line. Is this bipartisan bill as a win for America because it makes important fixes to our broken immigration system and its toughest Ferris law has ever been proposed relative to the Border a clock is ticking. Every week every month that passes without New Age Ukraine means fewer artillery shells pure defense air defense systems, true or two or three cranes defend itself against this Russian Onslaught just with Putin wants for those Republican Congress and think they can oppose funding for Ukraine and not be held accountable history is watching history is watching trailer support Ukraine. This critical moment will never be forgotten this bipartisan agreement also provides Israel with what it needs to protect his people defend itself against Hamas terrorists, and I'll provide the necessary life-saving humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. Lipozene is Bill to do nine age of the people who are really suffering and desperately need help. So I'm calling on Congress to pass this Bill gets my desk immediately. But if a bill fails I want to be absolutely clear about something American people are going to know why it fail. I'll be taking this issue to the country is republics have to decide who do they serve Donald Trump in American people. Are there to solve problems or just weaponize those problems for political purposes? I know my answer. I serve the American people. 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