The Importance of Secrets in Intelligence Documents

The Espionage Act dates back to World War I, and it basically makes it a crime to disclose secrets that could harm the U.S. It also has a provision for people who don't return classified documents when asked. Prosecutions under the law have been rare, which may explain why Vice President Pence was cleared of mistakenly having classified documents in his home and why President Biden is likely not to face charges either.