New task force will help protect classified records between presidents

The Presidential Record Transition Task Force is charged with promoting the protection of classified material as presidents enter and leave office.

President Biden is standing up a task force to address the handling of classified documents during Presidential transitions.

It follows the conclusion of a special counsel investigation into Biden’s handling of documents discovered at his residences, that found no charges were warranted.

The Presidential Record Transition Task Force will be tasked with looking at how to better safeguard classified documents during transitions, something the administration views as a “systemic” and “longstanding” issue, impacting both parties, and providing recommendation ahead of the next transition.

“President Biden takes classified information seriously – he returned the documents that were found, he fully cooperated with the investigation, and it concluded that there was no case. Now he is taking action to help strengthen future transitions to better prevent classified documents from being accidentally packed up and removed from the government, like we have seen with officials from every Administration for decades,” said White House Counsel’s Office spokesperson Ian Sams.

The task force will evaluate policies and identify best practices during transitions “to address the inadvertent removal of classified documents and to help prevent it from happening in the future, with the goal of ensuring that sensitive presidential records are preserved by NARA pursuant to the terms of the Presidential Records Act,” according to the White House. Specifically, Biden is directing it to study previous transitions, recommend training for staff, evaluate authorities, consult with experts and propose recommendations.