(The Center Square) – With two different U.S. presidents being found in possession of classified documents, Illinois’ governor has different takes.
Last August, after the raid of former Republican President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to get alleged classified documents, Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized Trump and Republicans.
“Well, I’m shocked and dismayed, honestly, that Republicans across Illinois haven’t stood up for law enforcement, haven’t stood up for law and order,” Pritzker said last fall. “Clearly there is something afoot here that may lead to a prosecution. It seems like Republicans say that they’re anti-crime and yet here they are standing up for someone who seems to have committed one.”
On CNN Wednesday, after it was revealed several collections of classified materials were found at the home and private office of Democratic President Joe Biden from the time he was vice president, Pritzker said there should be an independent investigation, but said the Trump stash story is “vastly different.”
“Where he was literally hiding documents and refusing to turn them over whereas this White House has turned them over and has encouraged an investigation,” Pritzker told CNN Wednesday.
Trump has contended his team was cooperating with federal officials over documents before his residence was raided by the FBI. A special prosecutor has been appointed in the case.
A separate special prosecutor has been appointed in the case involving the Biden document discoveries.
“I think there should be an investigation,” Pritzker told CNN. “I think having independent counsel is the right thing to do. And the White House has to be fully transparent about this.”
Pritzker is in Europe this week attending the World Economic Forum. He has denied assertions he’s eying a run for the White House in the 2024 election cycle.
The White House has said it is cooperating with a special counsel investigation, though Republicans are critical about the timeline of the revelations from Biden’s Department of Justice being tampered before the November election.
