Timeline of key dates on Biden, classified documents

It was early last November when President Joe Biden’s personal lawyers first came across Obama-Biden administration documents, including classified material, in an office that Biden had used in Washington after his time as vice president. Since then, more classified documents have been discovered at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware. None of this became public until this past week.

Key dates related to the discovery of classified documents tied to Biden, based on statements from the White House, the president and Attorney General Merrick Garland:

— Jan. 20, 2017: Biden’s two terms as vice president to President Barack Obama end.

— Mid-2017-2019: Biden periodically uses an office at the Penn Biden Center, a think tank in Washington.

— Jan. 20, 2021: Biden is sworn in as president.

— Nov. 2, 2022: Biden’s personal attorneys come across Obama-Biden administration documents in a locked closet while packing files as they prepare to close out Biden’s office in the Penn Biden Center. They notify the National Archives.

— Nov. 3, 2022: The National Archives takes possession of the documents.

— Nov. 4, 2022: The National Archives informs the Justice Department about the documents.

— Nov. 8, 2022: Midterm elections.

— November-December 2022: Biden’s lawyers search the president’s homes in Wilmington, Delaware, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to see if there are other documents from his vice presidency.

— Nov. 9, 2022: The FBI begins an assessment of whether classified information has been mishandled.

— Nov. 14, 2022: Garland assigns U.S. attorney John Lausch to look into whether a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the matter.

— Dec. 20, 2022: Biden’s personal counsel informs Lausch that a second batch of classified documents has been discovered in the garage at Biden’s Wilmington home. The FBI goes to Biden’s home in Wilmington and secures the documents.

— Jan. 5, 2023: Lausch advises Garland he believes that appointing a special counsel is warranted.

— Jan. 9, 2023: CBS News, followed by other news organizations, reveals the discovery of the documents at the Penn Biden Center. The White House acknowledges that “a small number” of Obama-Biden administration records, including some with classified markings, were found at the center. It makes no mention of the documents found in Wilmington.

— Jan. 10: 2023: Biden for the first time addresses the document issue. During a press conference in Mexico City, he says he was “surprised to learn that there were any documents” in the Penn Biden Center and doesn’t know what’s in them. He does not mention the documents found in Wilmington.

— Jan. 11, 2023: Biden’s lawyers complete their search of Biden’s residences, find one additional classified document in the president’s personal library in Wilmington. NBC News and other news organizations reveal a second batch of documents has been found at a location other than the Penn Biden Center.

— Jan. 12: 2023: Biden’s lawyer informs Lausch that an additional classified document has been found. Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president, reveals publicly for the first time that documents were found in Biden’s Wilmington garage and one document was found in an adjacent room. Garland announces that he has appointed Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney in the Trump administration, to serve as special counsel.

— Jan. 14: 2023: The White House reveals that Biden’s lawyers found more classified documents at his home than previously known. Sauber said in a statement that a total of six pages of classified documents were found during a search of Biden’s private library. Sauber said Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday as he was facilitating their retrieval by the Justice Department.