WASHINGTON (CN) — FBI agents found an additional classified document at former Vice President Mike Pence’s home in Carmel, Indiana, on Friday after his attorneys discovered sensitive government records there more than three weeks ago.
The latest search comes after Pence’s attorney alerted the National Records and Archives Administration that they had found about two dozen classified documents at the home on Jan. 18.
Devin O’Malley, a Pence adviser, said in a statement on Friday that Department of Justice investigators “completed a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours and removed one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice president’s counsel.”
"The vice president has directed his legal team to continue its cooperation with appropriate authorities and to be fully transparent through the conclusion of this matter," O'Malley added, noting Pence and his legal team had "agreed to a consensual search of his residence."
A member of Pence’s legal team was present for the search on Friday. Pence and his wife Karen, meanwhile, had gone to the West Coast for the births of their grandchildren.
Friday’s search is the latest in a string of searches as federal authorities are investigating the possible mishandling of classified documents by current and former top U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
According to Pence’s attorney Greg Jacob, the former vice president reached out to outside counsel to review records stored at his home on Jan. 16 “out of an abundance of caution,” following the public reaction to the discovery of classified documents at Biden’s home.
Jacob said four boxes containing copies of administration papers were found, including “a small number” of papers with classified markings, as well as “courtesy copies of vice presidential papers.” FBI agents stopped by the Indiana home on Jan. 19 to ensure the documents were secure and they were delivered to the National Archives the following week.
Most of the documents found in January were from the Naval Observatory, where Pence resided while serving as vice president under the Trump Administration.
Pence, for his part, denied knowing the documents were in his possession and said, “Mistakes were made, and I take full responsibility.”
Last month, the National Archives asked former U.S. presidents and vice presidents to review their personal records for any potential classified records following news of the Biden and Pence discoveries.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed special counsels to oversee the Department of Justice’s classified document investigations involving Biden and Trump.
Garland tapped special counsel Robert Hur in January to oversee the Biden documents probe. The president said last month that he is “fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”
A few months earlier, Garland appointed special counsel Jack Smith in November to oversee the probe into Trump’s handling of classified records, as well as any potential efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and called the probe “political persecution.”
Smith subpoenaed Pence on Thursday as part of the 2020 election probe, people familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Trump announced his 2024 presidential bid in November, while Biden is expected to announce a reelection campaign and Pence is considering a potential run.
The Justice Department and FBI did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
Follow @EmilyZantowNews
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