First it was Donald Trump with 300 classified documents in his personal possession at what is apparently a public venue as well as his residence. Then it was Joe Biden with classified documents sharing space with his Corvette, followed by more at his former office. Now it's Mike Pence with classified documents at his home.
Pointing fingers and appointing special counselors is becoming the political play of the day. It's all over the news and Biden and Pence--who originally clucked when Trump got caught--are now fumbling to defend their own actions as they get caught with a handful or two of classified documents. It's taking on a life of its own.
To which I say, hold on, people. Take a breath.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that these three men are preoccupied with their prominent positions. Pushing/organizing paperwork is likely not in their skillset, and even if it was, they probably would refuse to do it. So, they "file by pile." That is, they stack things up on their desk or the credenza behind the desk. Staff generally know that whatever is on the desk is off-limits, and for that most are very happy. That's because they only operate via tech resources, tip-tapping a keyboard. File a piece of paper or transport it from one area to another? Nah, not gonna happen unless the boss specifically makes me do it.
So the papers pile up, untouched. Then the calendar intervenes and suddenly everybody knows that the movers will be there in 60 days and they all have to get out. Now the last thing anyone is thinking about are those paper piles that have been parked for who knows how long on that desk and credenza. There are a zillion more important things to handle on the way out the door. Then the movers arrive.
Now it's crazy time. There are movers in different areas, packing, the phone is ringing incessantly, and appointments still must be met. No one, and I mean no one, is thinking about those piles of papers. Someone tells the movers that, uh, this office needs to be packed up, and then that person skedaddles and the mover does as instructed--she/he packs the piles into boxes and gets them onto the truck. At the White House there's probably a guard in the room during the packing, but it's not his job to track those papers. When it gets to the destination, some harried person is directing movers as they unload. "Yeah, uh, those office papers--uh, put those in the garage."
So that's likely how it happened.
Now the question is: Are these three men simply disorganized and/or so caught up in their own aggrandizement that they think they can do whatever they want? With Trump, I'm relatively certain he's disorganized, and he may even be a hoarder. Hoarders would almost rather die than let anything go. Still, the sheer number of documents, and, most importantly, his refusal to hand them over makes me pause.
If he's not a hoarder, what exactly did he plan to do with those documents?
With Biden and Pence, my experience tells me it's probably just a case of typical disorganization combined with the usual chaos that accompanies most relocations. One reporter asked Biden about the documents in his garage, and Biden seemed to be defensive about his Corvette. To which I say, "Wait--Biden drives a Corvette? Seriously?"
Unfortunately, it seems like every few days more documents turn up. These continuous revelations paint a clear picture of how being disorganized can be a serious problem. At the very least, it calls for a hard review of policies and procedures regarding classified material.
It's not rocket science. For example, the document is delivered and signed for. Then--and this is key--the document must be returned within a certain number of hours or days and signed out when it's picked up. Finally, it needs to be signed back in at the final resting place.
Hire somebody to do just that and keep track of all of it. Then, stick to the protocol/time restrictions, even if it is the almighty president or vice president.
Stephanie Culp of Bella Vista is a professional organizer with experience that includes large paper and relocation projects and a prominent clientele. Today she develops and writes procedures for owners of large estates and small businesses.