Former President Jimmy Carter reportedly had classified materials at his home in the past, as the scandal over President Joe Biden's secret materials unfolds.
A report from the Associated Press notes Carter turned over classified files on at least one past occasion to the National Archives.
— Maryann Millard (@millard_maryann) January 25, 2023
"The revelation comes as all former presidents and vice presidents are under scrutiny after it was discovered President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former Vice President Mike Pence had classified materials in their possession from previous administrations," the Washington Examiner reported.
"It is unknown how many documents Carter had in his possession and how many times he reported having them," it added.
Former President Jimmy Carter found classified materials at his home in Plains, Georgia, on at least one occasion and returned them to the National Archives. @ZekeJMiller @FarnoushAmiri @ctlong1 @colvinj https://t.co/tD7MPcu3Z9
— Nancy Benac (@nbenac) January 25, 2023
"It’s notable that Carter signed the Presidential Records Act in 1978 but it did not apply to records of his administration, taking effect years later when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated," the AP stated.
"Before Reagan, presidential records were generally considered the private property of the president individually. Nonetheless, Carter invited federal archivists to assist his White House in organizing his records in preparation for their eventual repository at his presidential library in Georgia," it added.
As I’ve said for months … but only after Biden’s caught do the media run this story. And truth is even here they attempt to smooth over what others have done.https://t.co/RQ8xP7RM0L
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) January 25, 2023
In addition to Biden and former President Donald Trump's classified files, former Vice President Mike Pence's lawyer searched his Indiana home and found a small number of classified files this week that were turned over to the National Archives.
It appears the scrutiny over past classified records will continue as both the Justice Department and House Oversight Committee continue to investigate the president's handling of materials.
In Biden's case, some records date to the time he was a senator, while others are from his time as vice president under former President Barack Obama.
The situation is potentially more concerning since First Son Hunter Biden listed the president's Delaware home as his address during the same period the records were at the location.
The matter is also likely to have a negative impact on Biden's plans for reelection as he seeks to secure a second term in the White House.