America First Legal (AFL) has released documents that shed light on the role of a senior Department of Justice (DOJ) official in handling classified documents linked to President Biden. These documents, obtained through an investigation into the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), suggest that Jay Bratt, who was then Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section at DOJ's National Security Division, played a significant part in managing the situation before joining Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team tasked with prosecuting former President Trump.
Jay Bratt was involved in coordinating efforts between DOJ and NARA regarding classified materials found at the Penn Biden Center. Despite concerns about his political donations and tactics, the Biden-Harris DOJ defended Bratt against allegations of bias towards Trump.
Records indicate that on November 4, 2022, NARA discovered nine classified documents among boxes retrieved from locations linked to President Biden. The Office of Inspector General referred this matter to Bratt shortly before the midterm elections. However, public awareness of these findings did not occur until January 2023.
Bratt instructed NARA's OIG not to proceed without consulting him for "appropriate deconfliction." Following discussions with various agencies, including DOJ and ODNI, it was decided that NARA should continue reviewing the materials without an FBI raid on Biden-related properties.
On November 7, NARA sought further guidance from Bratt ahead of Election Day. His instructions allowed certain materials to remain at their location until input from the FBI led to plans for temporary custody over all items.
After joining Special Counsel Smith’s team on November 18, Bratt continued coordinating with White House counsel regarding access to Presidential records under NARA's control. Later developments saw delays in reviewing Biden's records due to external events like Prince William’s visit.
The AFL claims these revelations demonstrate how high-ranking officials within DOJ participated in covering up mishandling incidents involving President Biden's classified documents while pursuing partisan objectives using their positions.