Vice President Mike Pence discovered classified documents in Indiana home

Well, no - because there’s no expectation of privacy or confidentiality on the street.

But if I’m a “business lawyer,” and while reviewing my client’s files in his office I find a brick of cocaine, I’m definitely obligated not to testify - or tell anyone - about it.

Biden has never claimed his attorneys were reviewing those documents in any way related to legal advice. In fact, the point always was he has said the opposite…that he was surprised that there were any confidential documents.

Odd that you didn’t know that privilege doesn’t apply to all communications, just legal advice communications. Also, the privilege can apply to more than just communications…such as facts learned.

I really suggest you read that pamphlet to which I linked.

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I was suprised there were classified documents were there is not the opposite of anything - but again, Biden doesn’t have to “claim” anything.

The fact that he asked his lawyers to oversee the move at all is itself evidence that they were there to provide legal advice - they’re not movers.

The premise that someone must explain how a protected conversation applies to legal advice to claim the privilege defeats the purpose of the privilege entirely.

The party claiming attorney client privilege has the burden of proving the required elements.

That would be Biden.

http://www.abourezklaw.com/bfl-09.html

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That is true when it comes to civil suits - but even then, only to the court, if the claim of privilege is challenged. Not to you, or the public at large.

The problem is, you are essentially trying to argue that the fact his lawyers were there is evidence of his guilt, which is not an argument I’ve ever heard a lawyer make. As I’ve pointed out numerous times - a lawyer’s obligations to their client are much broader than the attorney-client privilege rule of evidence. The Rules of Evidence only govern the admissibility of evidence, not the responsibilities of lawyers.

I have said that he had a right to claim attorney client privilege if he can prove the elements.
My argument that his using lawyers to clean out his papers indicates to me that he was anything but surprised that confidential files were there was not a legal argument but a common sense argument. How many people use lawyers to move papers that they know are nothing but innocent personal papers?
The rules of evidence don’t apply to deciding for whom one should vote for President.

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Is potential classified information is the only reason you can think of for having a lawyer oversee the moving process?

It’s not even clear how having lawyers there would benefit him, if he knew the documents were there - these weren’t criminal lawyers.

You say it’s not clear how lawyers could benefit him and meanwhile you have been pushing this attorney client privilege.
Which is it?

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Yes it would. For all we know is that these documents are on the level of the guest list for VIP dinners at the white house.

Where would you get the impression that they were there to provide legal advice? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Well, you’re not wrong.
If the broo haaa is about documents.
But what if the real issue is ignoring subpoenas?

Why not both? You can deal with the issue of ignoring subpoenas while at the same time dealing with how easy it is for some people to walk off with classified documents.

Why start now? Having those docs in the office in the first place was not treating them the way they should. (Some of them, for decades.)

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TDS victims likely see that as the more important issue. :roll_eyes:

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Now…

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Yep. :point_up_2: :point_up_2:

The DOJ tried to have the Trump lawyers held in contempt for not complying with the subpoena to provide all the documents. The federal judge declined to do.

https://thehill.com/homenews/3769327-judge-declines-request-to-hold-trump-team-in-contempt/

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Might want to read this newsweek link.

“In early November, just a few days ahead of the midterm elections, it was Biden’s own lawyers who first discovered an unspecified number of classified documents from the Democrat’s time as vice president at the Penn Biden Center as they were clearing out the president’s former office.”

Or this one:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/09/politics/joe-biden-classified-documents-upenn/index.html

"(CNN)Several classified documents from President Joe Biden’s time as vice president were discovered last fall in a private office, Biden’s attorneys acknowledged Monday.

Biden’s lawyers say they found the government materials in November while closing out a Washington, DC-based office – the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement – that Biden used as part of his relationship with the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an honorary professor from 2017 to 2019."

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