Story of secret documents found and their consequences
2023.01.24 14:25
Story of secret documents found and their consequences
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – In letters seen by Reuters, his representative stated that former Vice President Mike Pence had turned over the classified documents to the FBI after they were discovered at his Indiana home last week.
In addition to notifying the National Archives of the documents in a letter, Pence’s representative also stated in a separate letter that the FBI visited the former vice president’s residence to collect the documents.
Following the discovery of documents bearing classified markings at the homes of Pence’s former boss, former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden, Pence joins the company of those individuals.
In a letter dated January 18 to the National Archives, Pence’s representative, Greg Jacob, stated that “out of an abundance of caution” Pence had hired outside counsel to review records stored in his home in response to reports about the materials found at Biden’s residence.
In the letter, Jacob wrote, “Counsel identified a small number of documents that could potentially contain sensitive or classified information interspersed throughout the records.”
He stated, “Vice President Pence immediately secured those documents in a locked safe pending further guidance on proper handling from the National Archives.”
Jacob stated that the Justice Department “bypassed the standard procedures and requested direct possession” of the documents at Pence’s residence in a separate letter dated January 22.
According to Jacob, FBI agents arrived at his Indiana residence at 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 to retrieve the safe’s contents with the former vice president’s consent.
The Justice Department is conducting special counsel investigations into Biden and Trump for improper handling of classified materials. Biden’s documents date from his time as vice president, and Trump resisted turning over the items, which resulted in an FBI raid.
Each administration’s records are supposed to be given to the U.S. National Archives’ legal custody during a presidential transition. It is against the law to remove or retain classified information with intent or knowledge. If classified material is misplaced or not stored appropriately, it poses a threat to national security.
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