Dewey Decimal System

Last week we learned that classified documents were found in President Biden's garage.  This, following the revelation of classified documents found at Biden's office at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.  Unsurprisingly, supporters of former President Trump pounced with comparisons of the investigation by the Justice Department of Trump's possession of hundreds of classified documents at his home in Mar-a-Lago.

I have no personal knowledge about how these classified documents landed were they were found.  Although I have some speculative theories about carelessness and a desire for holding onto ephemera.  But those would be theories only.  Inasmuch as a Special Counsel has been appointed for both the former guy and the current guy the facts will eventually be revealed.

There appears - for now anyway - to be some differences between Trump and Biden; but that may change depending on what is uncovered. 

In the case of the former guy the National Archives initially contacted Trump in May of 2021 about missing documents.  Trump initially pushed-back on returning them.  When he relented we learned that some of them were highly classified.  When it was discovered that not all of the documents were accounted-for a subpoena for their return was issued.  Trump's records custodian falsely certified that the former president had returned all the government records.  A court authorized search warrant led to the FBI discovering even more highly classified documents.

In the case of the current guy as soon as the documents were discovered officials at the Archives were notified and the documents immediately turned over.

But like I said, these narratives may change as the investigations play-out and the facts are revealed.  Heck, Congress can (and possibly should) add both to their list of matters that they want to investigate and hold hearings about.

What has been on my mind is how does any document with a security classification end-up in someones basement, office or garage?  What I know is when I had a day job if it was found that I removed a confidential (secure) document to my home I would have been summarily dismissed (or most seriously disciplined).  Is the National Archives so sloppy that it takes significant passage of time to note that classified material has gone missing?  Or in the case of Biden that possibly it went unnoticed?

If my library book becomes overdue I get an email reminder to ask for an extension.  And if it is a wait-listed publication a demand for immediate return.  Of course, the library uses the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) system so that users can locate material and for the library to keep track of who has a particular item in their possession.  It is quite efficient.

Maybe the Archives should take a page out of that playbook.....