President Joe Biden greet members of the audience during a reception in recognition of Black History Month in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden will not seek any redactions in a report by the Justice Department special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents, the White House said Thursday, clearing the way for its release.
White House Counsel’s office spokesman Ian Sams said the White House had notified the Justice Department that it had completed a review of the report Thursday morning. “In keeping with his commitment to cooperation and transparency throughout this investigation, the president declined to assert privilege over any portion of the report,” he said.
The White House review for potential executive privilege concerns appeared to be the final hurdle before the report would be released to Congress and the public. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a letter to Congress Wednesday that he was committed to disclosing as much of the document as possible once the White House review was complete.