Mike Pence says he didn't leave office with classified materials, calls for 'unprecedented transparency' from the DOJ on the Mar-a-Lago raid

According to The Associated Press, the former vice president said he didn't take any classified documents with him after he left office.

After former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was raided by the FBI, Vice President Mike Pence made the remarks during an interview with the news organization.

The Espionage Act bars the unauthorized removal of defense-related information that could aid a foreign government if the documents are found to be related to a potential violation of the Espionage Act. The president is being investigated for possible obstruction of justice.

Over a dozen ex- Trump White House officials have denied that the documents taken by agents were classified.

When asked if he kept classified information when he left the Naval Observatory, he told the news organization that he had not.

He denied it during the interview.

He did not want to make a hasty decision about the search.

He said he didn't want to judge it before he knew all the facts.

The former vice president conducted the interview in Iowa, a key early presidential nominating state, where he would have to gain significant inroads among the state's conservative voters if Trump launches a third presidential bid.

Since leaving office, Pence has traveled the country and spoken out against the policies of the Biden administration.

When asked if he respected the will of the voters, the former vice president said he did.

He told the AP that the people of Wyoming had spoken. I accept their judgement about the kind of representation they want.

Over the years, I have appreciated the conservative stance of Congresswoman Cheney. He said he was disappointed in the partisan taint of the committee from the beginning.

The committee reached out to the former vice president's legal team to see if he'd be willing to testify.

In order to make an appearance before the panel, he would have to give due consideration.

He told the news organization that there are profound constitutional issues that need to be considered. The vice president has never been summoned to testify.

The former vice president continued to raise questions about the Department of Justice's search of a former president's home.

He said that the concern that millions of Americans had was only going to be solved with daylight. That's not normal in an investigation. This is the first time that the Justice Department has taken unprecedented action.