Classified document discovered during search at Pence’s home, spokesman says

CARMEL, Ind. — Federal authorities found an additional document with classified markings at the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence during a Friday search.

That’s according to a spokesperson for Pence.

Investigators spent about five hours at the former vice president’s Indiana home to look for any potential classified documents at the location.

The FBI showed up around 8:45 a.m., law enforcement sources confirmed. The residence borders both Zionsville and Carmel; the Carmel Police Department has blocked off the entrance. Carmel police said they were in the area for traffic control and were “not involved in assisting the FBI.”

By 2 p.m., law enforcement had departed the area.

Federal authorities didn’t confirm the reason for Friday’s activity, but Pence adviser Devin O’Malley confirmed it was related to the earlier discovery of classified documents at the home. O’Malley said investigators spent about five hours at the site and recovered one document with classified markings and six addition pages without such markings:

Following the discovery and disclosure of a small number of potentially classified documents that had inadvertently been transported to his home in Indiana, Vice President Pence and his legal team have fully cooperated with the appropriate authorities and agreed to a consensual search of his residence that took place today. The Department of Justice 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. 

Last month, Pence’s attorneys handed over a small number of classified documents that had been discovered at the residence. The former vice president said he took “full responsibility” for the documents and promised to cooperate with the investigation.

A personal familiar with the case said Friday’s search was conducted with a member of Pence’s legal team present. The Department of Justice was given “unrestricted access” to the home. The former vice president was out of town, having traveled to the West Coast to welcome new grandchildren.

The search included any potential classified documents and those that the DOJ believed may be original Presidential Record Act documents. This was the same level of search undertaken at locations connected to President Joe Biden, whose vice presidential documents are also being scrutinized.

National outlets reported last week that the FBI was planning to search Pence’s home for additional documents, as well as his office in Washington, D.C.

Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff, told CNN that Pence would give the FBI access to the residence in order to look for any additional classified material.

Short told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this week that such a search was “not too far off into the future,” according to The Hill.

Pence has also been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.