The discovery of secret materials in the home of the former vice president Mike Pence will not result in any charges being brought against him.
The Justice Department informed Pence, who worked for former President Donald Trump, in a letter that it had completed its investigation and would not be bringing any charges.
In a letter to Pence’s lawyer that CNN acquired on Friday, the Justice Department stated: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department’s National Security Division have conducted an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information.”
‘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.