“Confused and with a weak memory” The prosecutor’s words embarrass Joe Biden – Corriere.it

From our correspondent
NEW YORK – The special prosecutor who investigated the secret documents that Joe Biden did not return to the archives as the Vice President decided yesterday not to indict him, adding that he would not do so even if the Department of Justice did not have a practice prohibiting doing so and so on with responsible presidents. The finding was revealed in a 345-page report released by the State Department last night. But at the same time, the report criticizes Biden's behavior and questions his mental abilities.

As for his behavior, Biden obtained classified documents related to Obama's decision to increase troops in Afghanistan in 2009, convinced that it was a mistake on a par with Vietnam, and that his opposition would be judged favorably by future generations. He also shared classified information with the author of his book. 2017 autobiography, “Father, Make Me a Promise.” The report includes photos of secret cards kept in unsafe places, such as a cardboard box in the garage and a drawer under the television. Special prosecutor Robert Hoare explained that the president's lapses in care and vigilance demonstrate why former officials should not keep classified materials in their homes unguarded and read them aloud to others, but a jury could easily conclude that Mr. Biden's actions were not intentional. The report contains several references to the current president’s memory loss, adding that in a hypothetical trial “Biden would present himself before a jury as he did in interviews with us as a sympathetic old man, with good intentions and a weak memory,” and that Biden could not remember when he was vice president or “Even within several years” when his son Beau died, “he seemed confused when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him.”

One of Biden's lawyers responded angrily to the depiction of HoareHe accused him of “disrupting the subject of the investigation with strange, baseless comments that have no connection to the subject.” The lawyers had already written privately to the special prosecutor before the report was published, complaining about its contents and asking him to review it.

Donald Trump immediately criticized the decision not to indict Biden over his handling of classified papers. He said: “This case has shown that the judicial system applies double standards and that my trial is selective and unconstitutional.” “Biden’s case is 100 times more dangerous than mine.” The report indicates that the current president cooperated with the federal investigation from the beginning, handed over the files to the National Archives and allowed searches to be conducted at his home, and constitutes a stark difference from Trump, who was charged as part of the accusations against him. He deliberately refused to return the materials for months by ordering his staff to “destroy the evidence and then lie,” Hoare wrote. But the photo that appears of the president confirms the worst fears of voters, including Democrats, because of Biden's age, which has reached 81 years. “I am glad that the special prosecutor clarified the disagreement with Trump… and that this matter is closed,” he said.