The Justice Department has decided whether or not to file criminal charges against former Vice President Mike Pence, who admitted possessing classified documents.

According to a letter obtained by CNN from the Department of Justice, the department will not pursue any charges and has concluded its investigation into the matter, CNN reported on Friday.

“The decision comes ahead of Pence’s planned announcement next week that he will run for president in 2024. It allows Pence to offer an additional contrast between himself and former President Donald Trump, his political rival who’s under serious investigation by the Justice Department and others,” the report said, adding:

Pence’s attorney discovered approximately a dozen classified documents in Pence’s Indiana residence in January, after the former vice president requested a search of his records following the disclosure of classified documents in Joe Biden’s possession in Delaware.

Following their discovery, Pence turned over the classified documents to the FBI, and the FBI and Justice Department’s National Security Division initiated an investigation into how they ended up in his home. Pence stated that he was unaware the documents were at his residence, but acknowledged that “mistakes were made” and accepted responsibility.

The Justice Department is still investigating Trump and Biden’s handling of classified documents. In each investigation, Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel, citing the fact that the subjects are presidential candidates.

According to Pence’s staff, the former vice president was pleased but not surprised by the DOJ’s decision.

They told the publication that they believed the former vice president’s approach to the discovery of classified documents was significantly different than Trump’s.

They highlighted the contrast in two ways: first, the original process followed by Pence’s team when his documents were packed up at the end of the Trump administration, in which only a few classified documents were mistakenly included; and second, Pence’s prompt cooperation with the FBI and the National Archives upon learning of the situation.

“While Pence’s attorney contacted the National Archives and quickly returned the documents to the FBI, Trump resisted turning over the classified documents in his possession, eventually leading to a subpoena last year and the court-authorized August 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort,” CNN noted.

Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s management of classified documents and potential obstruction of investigators has led to interviews with a number of the former president’s aides and employees. CNN noted that there has been significant grand jury activity in recent months, suggesting that a judgment on whether to bring charges may be imminent.

During a search of Mar-a-Lago in August of 2016, the FBI discovered over one hundred classified documents. According to the report, the action occurred after Trump’s counsel confirmed that he had turned over all classified materials in his possession in response to a subpoena.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

In January, an attorney for Pence announced that he found classified documents at the Indiana home of the former vice president and has given them to the FBI. CONTINUE READING…