Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the mishandling of classified documents discovered at a former office used by President Biden and at Biden’s home. Garland said Thursday that former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur will lead the investigation.

Attorney General Merrick Garland: “I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity, but under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter.”

Garland’s announcement came after Biden’s lawyers reported they’d discovered a second batch of classified documents in the garage of Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, with one other record found in an adjacent room. On Thursday, Biden downplayed the incident, arguing the documents had been under lock and key.

President Joe Biden: “They discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas, in file cabinets in my home and my personal library. … The Department of Justice was immediately notified, and the lawyers arranged for the Department of Justice to take possession of the document.”

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have promised to launch their own investigation, accusing Biden and Democrats of a double standard in their treatment of former President Trump’s mishandling of hundreds of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.