Former Vice President Mike Pence said during an interview late last year that he did not take any classified documents with him from the White House.
The clip resurfaced Tuesday after an attorney for Pence reportedly found about a dozen documents marked classified at Pence’s home in Indiana last week.
Pence has since turned the documents over to the FBI, according to CNN. The reported discovery comes as the Justice Department has already tapped two special counsels to investigate classified document handling by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Pence directed his team to search his home in Indiana and office at his political advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), following revelations that classified documents had been discovered in Biden’s office at the Penn Biden Center, a Washington think tank affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. No classified papers turned up in the search of Pence’s offices at AAF.
Back in mid-November, Pence was asked on ABC News’ “World News Tonight” with anchor David Muir whether he had taken any classified documents.
Pence responded, “I did not.”
“Do you see any reason for anyone to take classified documents with them, leaving the White House?” Muir pressed.
“Well, there’d be no reason to have classified documents, particularly if they were in an unprotected area,” Pence responded. “But I will tell you that I believe there had to be many better ways to resolve that issue than executing a search warrant at the personal residence of a former President of the United States.”
“Executing a search warrant against a former President of the United States, for the first time in history, sent the wrong message to the wider world,” Pence told Muir. “I hope that the Justice Department will think carefully about next steps in that light.”
”And do you hope that future presidents are also careful with the message they’re sending if they take classified documents with them from the White House?” Muir asked.
“Of course,” Pence responded.
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