Classified Documents “Accidentally” Kept by Former US Vice President Mike Pence

By Staff, Agencies

Former Vice President of the United States of America, Mike Pence, is the latest high-ranking politician to be put in the spotlight for the discovery of the documents marked as classified at his Indiana residence.

Pence's representative submitted the classified records to the FBI last week. The representative said a "small number of records were accidentally boxed and transported to his home as he left office in 2021".

It is not clear what information the documents contain. According to US media, the documents are believed to have first been taken to his home in Virginia before later being sent to Indiana.

The FBI and the Justice Department's "National Security" Division have launched a review of the documents and how they ended up in Pence's house in Indiana.

The announcement is contrary to repeated statements by the former Vice President that he did not have classified materials in his possession upon leaving office.

The discovery of the classified documents at Pence's residence marks the third time in recent history in which a president or vice president has inappropriately possessed classified material after leaving office.

US investigators are already investigating ex-President Donald Trump's possession of such files; roughly 300 records with classification markings, which were recovered from his Mar a Lago property.

Trump and his lawyers had resisted handing over the documents until the FBI raided his Florida holiday home last August. The search of Trump's property was the culmination of months of bickering between the government and Trump's representatives who resisted efforts to return the missing documents.

The FBI searched President Joe Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, residence for additional classified material; an unprecedented search of a sitting president's home, which turned up six additional classified items.

The search was conducted after Biden's lawyers discovered classified material in Wilmington, following the initial discovery of classified documents at Biden's private office in November.

The new discoveries led to some criticism of the President even amongst Democrats.

While Democrats have defended the president, there have been clear indications of concern, and even frustration, amongst his allies in Congress that the White House hasn't handled the issue properly.

President Biden's political outlook has now veered into more uncertain territory, the eighty-year-old President has already indicated his plans to seek a second term, but he has yet to make a final decision.

His allies believe he is likely to make a formal announcement after the end of March. No high profile Democrat has yet appeared willing to challenge Biden; however, some Democratic officials believe the new federal probe may help motivate an outside candidate.