On 1/17/2023, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre once again dodged questions on the Biden documents scandal. Reporters repeatedly grilled Karine Jean-Pierre about the searches for classified documents after she was caught lying about the timeline. A reporter asked Jean-Pierre, “I just wanted to ask you about something you said last week. Last week, you were pretty insistent that you believed the President’s attorneys did the right thing. Do you still believe that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, they did the right thing when it comes to making sure that when the documents were found, they handed it over to the Archivist …
Reporter: But the reason I ask is — is that what we now know — and the President’s Counsel’s statement, the President’s personal lawyer’s statement shed a bit more light on this, but they raised more questions. Namely, the first call that the President’s personal attorneys made on November 2nd was not to the FBI that they had found what we now know were top-secret documents out in the open. The first call was to officials here at this White House in the West Wing. How is that the right thing?
Isn’t it the right thing, when you see some- — if you’re a lawyer and your — you don’t have a security clearance and you see a classified document, shouldn’t you call the Justice Department’s National Security office right away?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I’m going to refer you to the White House Counsel’s Office. That is something for them to answer …
Reporter: It was about a half hour, but let me — let me widen now. Why is it the matter of this White House Counsel to deal with documents from two administrations ago? These are — we’re not talking about presidential records from this White House. Why is this White House Counsel involved in this matter at all?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, this is something for the White House Counsel to address. I am not going to address that from here. I will refer you to them, and I will refer you to the Special Counsel …
Reporter: A very quick one on documents, if you don’t mind. Given these documents have shown up in very personal spaces — we all know that the President loves his Delaware home and it’s an extremely personal space for him — is he physically joining in the search for these things, rummaging around, you know, these boxes in the garage and wherever else — I mean, literally?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Are you — are you listening to your — the question that you’re asking me?
Reporter: No, it’s a — no, it’s a — it’s serious matter —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I mean —
Reporter: — where are these documents.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, look —
Reporter: It’s a serious matter.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look —
Reporter: Is he taking part in searching for his own documents?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’m going to be very consistent here. I am going to be very clear here, as I have been for the past couple of days — almost a week now — dealing with this. You know, we are going to — any specific questions that you have about this issue, I would refer you to
Reporter: You just, from the podium — in an answer to one of the reporters, you said something about not wanting to politically interfere when it comes to this investigation on the documents. I asked you, when we first heard about the documents, there is a political component and a legal component. But can you expound upon what you don’t want to interfere on politica- — politically? Because many pundits, many lawyers, many politicians are saying that this is also an issue that could prohibit a lot of work in this one hundred — with the 118th Congress, a lot of work for the American people in this moment. Could you expound on what you were talking about?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, look, I’m not going to get into politics from here, and I’ve been very clear about that. I’ve answered that question multiple times already.
https://facebook.com/HygoNewsUSA/videos/5777681315620037
Q: did right thing? the first call was not to DOJ but to White House? A: refer you to White House Counsel