Donald Trump’s vice president Mike Pence avoids charges for classified documents in his home
Former Vice President Mike Pence will not face any charges related to classified documents that were discovered in his home.
Pence, who served under ex-President Donald Trump, was informed in a letter that the Justice Department has concluded its investigation and will not be filing charges against him.
‘The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department’s National Security Division have conducted an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information,’ the Justice Department wrote to Pence’s attorney in the letter obtained by CNN on Friday.
‘Based on the results of that investigation, no criminal charges will be sought.’
The development comes days after reports that Pence plans to announce his 2024 presidential campaign next week.
Pence’s lawyer found about a dozen classified documents in the former vice president’s home in Carmel, Indiana, in January. Pence had asked his attorney to do the search after classified records were discovered in President Joe Biden’s Delaware home and an office in Washington, DC.
After discovering the classified documents, Pence immediately handed them over to the FBI, which began a probe into how they wound up there. Pence said he did not know the material was at his home but took responsibility for it, saying ‘mistakes were made’.
The content of the papers is still unknown.
An adviser to Pence told CNN that he and his team were not surprised by the Justice Department’s decision, but are pleased.
The Justice Department continues to probe the sensitive records found in Biden’s possession, as well as boxes of classified documents that were recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
Pence reportedly will announce his 2024 bid for the presidency on June 7, the same day he is slated to appear in a CNN presidential town hall in Iowa. He will enter a growing field of candidates vying for the Republican nomination, with Trump maintaining a lead in most polls and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis coming in a clear second.
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