DOJ closes Pence classified documents investigation with no charges

Former Vice President Mike Pence will not be charged in the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.

On Thursday, the Justice Department's national security division informed Pence’s attorney that it had closed its investigation and that based on the “results” of that probe, no charges will be filed against the former vice president. Pence was interviewed as part of the DOJ's investigation, along with several aides, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department declined to comment, but a DOJ official confirmed that the department had sent the letter.

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The timing of the investigation’s ending is a relief to Pence, as he plans to announce his bid for president next week. Special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents could also be reaching a decision point on whether charges will be filed. 

A Pence adviser told NBC that the former vice president and his team are pleased but not surprised by the investigation’s conclusion. 

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Earlier this year, Pence’s lawyers said that a “small number” of classified materials had been found at the former vice president’s home in Indiana after the FBI discovered classified records were initially discovered at a Washington think tank President Joe Biden used after he was vice president. The FBI later conducted a five-hour voluntary search of Pence’s home, and uncovered another classified document. 

In the case of Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland named a special counsel — former Justice Department attorney Robert Hur — to lead that investigation, but no special counsel was named in Pence’s case. The exact status of Hur’s probe remains unclear.