“There is a process that the White House goes through to declassify materials. I’m aware of that occurring on several cases over the course of our four years,” Pence said in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“But I don’t have any knowledge of any broad-based directive from the president,” he added. “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t occur; I just — it’s just not something that I ever heard about.”
ABC News’ Jonathan Karl had asked Pence about the network’s report that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators that he could not recall Trump’s ever having ordered declassifying broad sets of materials before the end of his presidency. NBC News has not independently verified ABC News’ reporting, which cites sources familiar with the matter.
Counsel for Meadows did not immediately respond to a request for comment on ABC News’ report. Meadow’s attorney declined to comment to ABC News, and the special counsel’s office declined to comment to both NBC News and ABC News.
In a statement to NBC News, a Trump campaign spokesperson, without evidence, accused the Justice Department of “selectively leaking incomplete information because they know they can’t win inside a courtroom” and alleged that it was “trying to deceive Americans through the court of public opinion.”
In June, Trump was indicted in connection with his handling of more than 100 classified documents that were discovered last year at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, including his having held on to sensitive materials that he knew were classified after he left the White House.
The indictment alleged that documents were stored at times in different parts of the resort, including a ballroom stage and a bathroom.
Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Smith filed a new indictment in connection with the case last month alleging that Trump was part of a scheme to delete security video and that a newly charged defendant — who was identified as a property manager at Mar-a-Lago — told another employee that “the boss” wanted the server deleted.
Pence’s lawyers said this year that a “small number” of classified materials had been found at his home in Indiana after classified records were also found at a Washington think tank President Joe Biden used after he was vice president. Special counsel Robert Hur is looking into the Biden documents.
The FBI later conducted a five-hour voluntary search of Pence’s home and uncovered another classified document.
In June, the Justice Department’s national security division informed Pence’s attorney that it had closed its investigation and that based on the “results” of the probe, no charges would be filed. Pence was interviewed as part of the Justice Department’s investigation, along with several aides, a source familiar with the matter said at the time.
Pence has become a target of Trump since he broke with him in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Since he launched his presidential campaign in June, Pence has also excoriated his old boss’ baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election and his actions leading up to the Capitol attack.
Pence announced this month that he had qualified for the first GOP debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Meanwhile, two sources familiar with Trump’s thinking said last week that Pence has made up his mind not to attend the debate and is seeking a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to counterprogram the event.
Pence indicated Sunday that he thinks he still might have a chance to go head to head against Trump in Wisconsin. “I served alongside the president for a long time. And one thing I realized about him: It’s not over till it’s over,” he said.
Source: NBC News
