Former President Trump argued Friday that he should face a felony charge over his handling of classified documents after the Justice Department said would not bring charges against former Vice President Mike Pence on the issue, despite major differences in their cases.
“I just announced that they will not be filing charges against Mike Pence for the document hoax,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That’s great, but when I’m fully exonerated, at least I’m as innocent as he is.”
Trump questioned what would happen to President Biden, who is also facing an investigation into his handling of classified materials.
The Justice Department has concluded its investigation into Pence’s handling of classified materials after several sensitive documents were found in his home and will not press charges, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.
Separate special counsels have been appointed to investigate whether Biden and Trump mishandled classified materials. In Pence’s case, no special counsel was appointed.
In Trump’s case, federal agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home last August after he refused to cooperate with the National Archives for months in handing over sensitive government materials he took with him after leave the White House.
Prosecutors investigating Trump’s possible mishandling of classified material have obtained audio of the former president speaking in 2021 about a classified Pentagon document and indicating he was aware there were restrictions on who could see it.
In Biden’s case, classified documents from his time as vice president were discovered in a former office in Washington, as well as at his home in Wilmington, Del. Biden’s team alerted federal authorities upon discovering the materials, although the White House did not immediately notify the public when the documents were first found.
In Pence’s case, officials searched his home in Indiana following the discovery of classified documents at Biden’s home. They found some classified materials and alerted federal officials. A separate search of Pence’s offices in Washington turned up no additional classified material.
