What to know about Robert Hur, special counsel in Biden classified docs case
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Robert Hur in May 2019. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Special counsel Robert Hur is set to testify before the House Tuesday morning about his investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents.
Why it matters: Hur released a report last month detailing his findings that raised questions about Biden's memory and mental acuity, which Republicans seized on to question the president's fitness to run for reelection.
- Ultimately, Hur didn't recommend criminal charges, but Biden's age remains a top issue for many voters.
- Hur left the Justice Department last week and will be testifying as a private citizen, an agency spokesperson confirmed Tuesday morning.
Hur's background
Hur, 51, was born in New York to Korean parents.
- Hur is a registered Republican but is known for avoiding partisan politics over the course of his career, the New York Times reported.
- A graduate of Harvard and Stanford Law School, early in his career Hur clerked for late U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
- During the Trump administration, Hur was a principal associate deputy attorney general from 2017 to 2018, working as the top aide to Rod Rosenstein, per the Justice Department.
- From 2018 to 2021, Hur served as the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland.
Involvement in Biden case
In Jan. 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur to lead the probe into Biden's handling of classified documents after the discovery of two sets of material from Biden's time as vice president.
- As part of the investigation, Hur and his team interviewed dozens of witnesses, CNN reported.
- Hur also conducted a two-day interview with Biden in October as part of the investigation.
Hur's report on Biden
In his report, Hur concluded that Biden willfully retained classified documents while noting that Biden's memory appeared to have "significant limitations."
- "At trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,' the report stated.
- Hur is expected on Tuesday to defend his decision to not levy criminal charges against Biden.
- During his opening statement, Hur is expected to say that he "did not sanitize" his final report.
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