FBI Finds More Classified Material in Pence’s Home
The FBI discovered more classified material during a search of Mike Pence’s home on Friday, according to the Associated Press. The search came after an aide found around a dozen classified documents in the Indiana home of the former vice president last month.
Devin O’Malley, a Pence adviser, said the FBI conducted “a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours,” removing “one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice president’s counsel.”
The search was reportedly conducted with Pence’s full cooperation, and followed discussions between his team and the Justice Department.
Pence insisted in a November interview that he did not take any classified documents from the White House. “There would be no reason to have classified documents, particularly if they were in an unprotected area,” the former vice president added.
Classified documents have also recently been found in the home and former office of President Joe Biden. The documents were found by Biden’s team, which then notified the Justice Department. The FBI conducted a planned search of the president’s Delaware beach house earlier this month, but it didn’t yield any new material. Earlier in January, Attorney General Merrick Garland named a special counsel to investigate the discovery of documents from Biden’s time as vice president. There has been speculation he might appoint a special counsel to handle Pence’s case, as well.
Donald Trump’s team did not fully cooperate as authorities sought to recover classified material from the former president’s residence in Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House. The FBI raided the property last August, recovering hundreds of classified documents. Garland appointed a special counsel, Jack Smith, to investigate both Trump’s handling of sensitive material, as well as his potential role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Mike Pence on Thursday was subpoenaed by Smith regarding the probe into Jan. 6.