Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticized President Joe Biden on Sunday, characterizing the commander-in-chief's alleged mishandling of classified documents as "unacceptable."
While appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" program, the Illinois Democrat questioned President Biden's conduct around sensitive government materials.
Durbin also said the president has lost the "high ground" on this issue — just a few months after slamming former President Donald Trump for being "irresponsible" with his own documents dispute with the National Archives.
"There's a standard we follow when it comes to members of Congress and classified information," Durbin said.
"The door to my office is closed. The person that presents the document to me takes it out of a locked briefcase, hands it to me, and watches as I read it. When I finish reading it, he takes it back, puts it in the briefcase, and leaves the scene. That's how carefully we review these documents.
"To think that any of them ended up in boxes in storage one place or the other is just unacceptable," the senator added.
On Friday, the FBI reportedly found more classified documents at President Biden's Delaware home — in a "consensual" search that lasted nearly 13 hours, according to Bob Bauer, Biden's personal lawyer.
In a brief statement to the media, Bauer said that "six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding material" had been identified by federal officials.
The most recent findings mark the fourth batch of classified materials affiliated with Biden, found either at the aforementioned home in Wilmington or an office think tank in Washington, D.C. (the Penn Biden Center).
All of the classified materials reportedly predate Biden's term as president (January 2021), meaning he would not have possessed any declassification powers back then.
For his appearance on CNN, Durbin attempted to articulate the differences between Biden and Trump's document disputes.
"Joe Biden has said from the start, we are going to be totally transparent about this," said Durbin. "Let the chips fall where they may. I'm going to open my home voluntarily to a search, not the first search, I'm sure, of his offices and home. He has shown total cooperation in this effort. That is a sharp contrast to President Trump."
Regarding the Biden White House losing the so-called moral "high ground" on a matter that's generated nonstop media attention over the last few weeks, Durbin didn't mince words.
"Let's be honest about it," Durbin conceded. "When the information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person who is in possession of it. Because it's not supposed to happen. Whether it was the fault of a staffer or attorney, it makes no difference. The elected official bears ultimate responsibility."
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