Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Mark Warner, D-Va., expressed displeasure following a ‘Gang of Eight’ briefing by the intelligence community on the alleged mishandling of classified documents by the executive branch, saying in a joint statement following the briefing that it ‘left much to be desired.’
The Gang of Eight received a classified briefing from the administration Tuesday on the classified documents found at the respective homes of President Biden and former President Donald Trump. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines briefed the lawmakers along with representatives from the Department of Justice.
‘In accordance with our responsibility to oversee the Intelligence Community and protect our national security, today we met with leaders from the IC and the Justice Department to discuss the exposure of classified documents,’ read a joint statement after the briefing by Senate Intelligence Chairman Warner and Ranking Member Rubio.
‘While today’s meeting helped shed some light on these issues, it left much to be desired, and we will continue to press for full answers to our questions in accordance with our constitutional oversight obligations,’ they added.
The Gang of Eight includes the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees and the top leaders in Congress – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
President Biden is currently under federal investigation for his handling of classified documents after they were found at Biden’s residence in Delaware as well as his private office at a think tank in Washington, D.C.
The FBI searched two of Biden’s Delaware residences, which found classified documents dating back to the Obama administration and Biden’s time in the Senate in several unsecured areas. The Justice Department has appointed a special counsel to investigate the documents.
The Justice Department has also appointed a special counsel to investigate Trump after hundreds of documents marked as classified were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Former Vice President Mike Pence also disclosed that classified documents were found in his Indiana home.
