A think tank, the Penn Biden Center is, per its mission statement, "founded on the principle that a democratic, open, secure, tolerant, and interconnected world benefits all Americans."[4][5] The Penn Center engages foreign policy leaders as well as members of the Penn community on issues which are critical to sustaining the principles of American leadership on the global stage into the 21st century.[6]
The Penn Biden Center will carry on its mission of conducting original research, analysis, and commentary on America’s place in the world and the global forces that impact our national security, democratic institutions, and foreign policy. As a research unit within the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Biden Center will remain completely independent of the Biden administration, and the analysis and opinions of its staff and affiliated scholars will reflect their personal views alone, and not necessarily those of the University of Pennsylvania. The Penn Biden Center does not accept any contributions or gifts.[12]
Between November 2022 and January 2023, President Joe Biden's attorneys found approximately 25 to 30 classified documents in his former office at the Penn Biden Center and in his personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware, dating to his vice presidency in the Obama administration. This was immediately reported by the President's attorneys to the National Archives and Records Administration, which retrieved them. On January 12, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The House Judiciary Committee opened a separate investigation.[13][14]
