WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has informed former Vice President Mike Pence legal team that he will not file criminal charges related to the discovery of classified documents in his Indiana home.
The department sent a letter to Pence’s attorney Thursday to inform his team that, after an investigation into possible mishandling of classified information, no criminal charges will be filed. A Justice Department official confirmed the authenticity of the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.
The news comes days before Pence are you ready to launch your campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa on Wednesday, a race that will put him in direct competition with his former boss, former president donald trump.
No evidence ever emerged to suggest that Pence intentionally hid any government documents or even knew they were in his home, so it was never expected that the former vice president would face charges. But the administration’s decision and timing are nonetheless good news for Pence’s political team ahead of his entry into the 2024 race.
Attorney General Merrick Garland had appointed a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, as well as Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, just three days after Trump formally launched his 2024 campaign, a recognition of high political stakes.
Documents with classified marks were discovered at Pence’s home in January after he asked his lawyers to go through his vice presidential belongings. The items, which were promptly delivered to the fbi“were inadvertently packaged and transported” to Pence’s home at the end of the last administration, Pence’s attorney, Greg Jacob, wrote in a letter to the National Archives.
the fbi discovered an additional document with classified markings on the Indiana home during a search the following month.
Beyond Pence, special counsel to the Justice Department continues to investigate the handling of classified documents found in homes or offices of both Trump and the president. Joe Bidenfrom when he was vice president.
The status of the investigation of the Biden documents is unclear, but the Trump investigation has shown signs of waning. Prosecutors appear close to making a decision on whether to bring criminal charges against the former president or anyone else.
The team led by special counsel Jack Smith has placed a broad cross-section of witnesses before a federal grand jury investigating Trump, including former and close Trump advisers. The investigation has focused not only on whether Trump illegally possessed some 300 documents marked as classified, but also on whether he obstructed the government’s efforts to secure their return.
The Biden and Pence affairs have always been differentiated, in fact and in law, from the Trump investigation because in both cases, aides proactively disclosed the discovery of classified documents to the Justice Department and facilitated their return.
In the Trump investigation, Trump resisted for months demands to return classified documents taken from the White House to his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, after his term ended. After suspecting more classified documents remained at the property, despite a subpoena and visit by investigators, the FBI returned last August with a search warrant and recovered about 100 additional documents marked classified, including at the security level. top secret.