"'Biden's Intentional Leak of Classified Information' Conclusion" Korean-American Special Prosecutor Robert Hur Gains Attention in the US

Robert Hur, the special prosecutor (51) who announced the investigation results stating that there was "intentionality" in the classified documents of U.S. President Joe Biden, is a hot topic in the United States.

His parents are Korean, and during his time as a prosecutor, he experienced various cases including classified information leaks, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, and white-collar crimes. Known as a Republican party member, he is regarded as a figure who can minimize disputes over "fairness" related to this case.

Special Prosecutor Robert Hur
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On the 8th (local time), Special Prosecutor Hur disclosed the investigation results of the classified information leak allegations involving incumbent President Biden ahead of the presidential election in November.

He judged that there was "intentionality" in the classified information leak but concluded that it was not subject to punishment. The investigation report stated that evidence was secured showing that President Biden, even as a private citizen after finishing his vice-presidential term, intentionally possessed classified materials and disclosed their contents.

However, it was also judged that this was not a matter for prosecution. The evidence was not sufficient to prove guilt in court, and even if prosecuted, it is highly likely that jurors would consider that President Biden made a mistake rather than intentionally broke the law.

Attention was also drawn to the mention of President Biden's declining memory. It was judged that Biden's memory was "significantly limited" when he spoke with a ghostwriter for his 2017 memoir and during the special prosecutor's investigation last year. The cognitive decline due to old age is considered the biggest issue in President Biden's presidential campaign.

Both President Biden and former President Donald Trump, who are likely to face off in the presidential election, expressed dissatisfaction with Special Prosecutor Hur's announcement. Former President Trump claimed, "The dual justice system and unconstitutional, selective prosecution have now been proven." He argued that the treatment was unfair compared to his own prosecution on similar charges.

President Biden also voluntarily held an emergency press conference around 8 p.m. that day, emphasizing that the special prosecutor's conclusion of "intentional possession of classified information" was "clearly wrong" and that "(I) have never violated the law."

However, Special Prosecutor Hur is regarded as a figure who can minimize controversy over fairness in investigating the highest power figure from the Democratic Party. This is because he is known as a Republican party member and has experience prosecuting national classified information leak cases.

Hur, whose parents are Korean, was born in New York City in 1973. He majored in English and American literature at Harvard University and graduated from Stanford Law School. He worked as a judicial clerk for former Chief Justice William Rehnquist and former Federal Appeals Court Judge Alex Kozinski.

From 2007 to 2014, while serving as a prosecutor at the Maryland State's Attorney's Office, he handled various cases including organized crime, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, and white-collar crimes. In November 2017, Hur was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland under the Trump administration and served as U.S. Attorney from April 2018 to February 2021. Notably, during his tenure as U.S. Attorney for Maryland, he prosecuted the case of Harold Martin, a subcontractor for the National Security Agency (NSA), for stealing classified information, dealing with classified information leaks.

After leaving public office and working as a lawyer, he was appointed last January by Merrick Garland, the Attorney General of the Biden administration, as a special prosecutor to investigate the classified information leak allegations involving the sitting president.

U.S. President Joe Biden held an emergency press conference on the 8th (local time) to express his stance on the special prosecutor's investigation results. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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