FBI to search Pence’s home in Indiana for more documents

The FBI is planning to conduct a search of former Vice President Mike Pence’s residence in Indiana for additional classified documents in the upcoming days, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that Department of Justice (DOJ) officials are discussing when to schedule the search with Pence’s legal team. 

The Journal first reported the plans.

CNN further reported that the FBI will also search Pence’s office in Washington, D.C.

Documents containing classified markings were found at Pence’s home last month and transferred to the National Archives after Pence’s team notified officials of the discovery. Pence’s attorney said the former vice president was “unaware” that any classified or sensitive records were present at his address. 

Pence said in an interview with Fox News after the disclosure that he takes “full responsibility” for the documents being at his home. 

The FBI declined to comment, deferring to the DOJ. The Hill has reached out to the DOJ and a spokesperson for Pence for comment. 

The report comes after the FBI completed a search of President Biden’s property at Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Wednesday, with the White House later saying no additional documents were found there. 

Documents with classified markings were found at Biden’s residence in Wilmington and his old office at the Penn Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C. The materials come from his time as vice president. 

The search of the Rehoboth Beach home happened with agreement from Biden, and the Journal reported that the search of Pence’s home would be similar. 

A person close to Pence told the Journal that his legal team believes their search of the property was exhaustive and does not think any classified documents remain. 

CNN reported that a source briefed on some of Pence’s documents previously said the documents were “lower level” classification.

The FBI executed a search warrant of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in August after it had suspicion that classified documents were taken there. Officials obtained hundreds of classified and sensitive documents from that search. 

Both Biden and Pence have emphasized that they immediately notified the National Archives upon the documents being find. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed special counsels to oversee investigations into Trump and Biden’s alleged mishandling of documents, and he has faced some calls to appoint one to oversee an investigation into the documents at Pence’s home.