CNN
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Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he “made a mistake” and took full responsibility, even though he was previously unaware that the classified documents were at his home in Indiana.
In a speech at Florida International University, Pence said that “with due care, (his) It is appropriate to check personal records,” he said. Joe Biden’s Private His offices and residences date back to his time as Vice President.
CNN first reported that Pence’s attorneys found about a dozen classified documents at the former vice president’s home last week. The former Vice President had directed Matt Morgan, an attorney with experience in handling classified materials, to conduct a search.
The discovery came after Pence repeatedly stated that he did not possess classified documents.
Pence said Friday that he had “a handful of documents classified or marked as classified scattered about in my personal papers” and determined that he secured the documents “immediately.” They then notified the National Archives, submitted the documents to the FBI, and conveyed their findings to Congress, he said.
“And I didn’t know those classified documents were in our private residence, but let me be clear. Those classified documents should not have been in my private residence. There is a mistake. And I take full responsibility,” he said.
The FBI and the Department of Justice’s National Security Agency have launched an investigation into the documents and how they ended up in Pence’s home. not.
Confidential records are to be kept in a secure location. Also, under the Presidential Records Act, White House records are to be sent to the National Archives when the administration ends.
Pence said Friday that there was a “thorough review” of all documents kept in the vice president’s office and in the vice president’s Washington, D.C. residence at the end of the Trump Pence administration. “I’m sure it was done in a professional manner,” he said.
He also said he had instructed his lawyers to “cooperate fully” with any investigation, and later told reporters that he would “welcome the Department of Justice’s work in this case.”
Biden’s team found classified documents in a Washington, DC think tank office in November. Biden said he immediately notified the National Archives and then the Department of Justice, but the findings were not made public for several weeks.
Last summer, the FBI recovered hundreds of documents from former President Donald Trump’s Florida mansion and resort.
A special counsel has been appointed to both the Biden and Trump cases.
Following the discovery of classified documents in the homes of Pence, Biden and Trump, the National Archives asked the former president and vice president to review their personal records for classified documents and other presidential records. A formal request was made to confirm, CNN first reported.
“I think now is the time to be more diligent,” Pence told reporters, adding that he would “welcome broader debate in Congress and public debate on classified documents.” rice field.
This story has been updated with additional details.
