Mike Pence won't be charged in discovery of classified documents at Indiana home

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Mike Pence won't be charged in discovery of classified documents at Indiana home

Former Vice President Mike Pence will not be charged in the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.

On Thursday, the Justice Department's National Security Division informed Pence's attorney that it had closed its investigation and, based on the results of that investigation, no charges will be filed against the former vice president. Pence was interviewed as part of the DOJ's investigation, along with several aides, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department declined to comment, but a DOJ official confirmed that the letter had been sent.

The timing of the investigation's end is a relief to Pence, as he plans to announce his bid for president next week. The investigation into former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents could also be reaching a decision point on whether any charges will be filed.

A Pence aide told NBC the former vice president and his team are pleased but not surprised by the investigation's conclusions.

The FBI had discovered classified materials at Pence's home in Indiana earlier this year, a small number of classified documents was discovered at a Washington think tank, President Joe Biden used after he was vice president. The FBI later conducted a five-hour voluntary search of Pence's home and uncovered another classified document.

In Biden's case, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel - former Justice Department attorney Robert Hur - to lead that investigation, but no special counsel was named in Pence's case. The exact status of Hur's probe is still unknown.