According to NBC News, the special counsel looking into former President Donald Trump has subpoenaed former Vice President Mike Pence on his attempts to reverse his 2020 election defeat and the events up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2019.
President Joe Biden’s margin of victory in that contest was made possible by the Electoral College slates of numerous states, which were certified by Pence, who served under Trump. When Pence presided over a joint session of Congress to ensure Biden’s victory, he rejected Trump’s request.
On January 6, 2021, a crowd of Trump fans stormed the US Capitol, interrupting that joint session for hours and forcing Pence and Congressmen to leave for safety. Trump resisted attempts to ask his supporters to vacate the Capitol for hours openly.
The initial news that special counsel Jack Smith had summoned Pence came from ABC News. According to ABC, the subpoena was issued following months of discussions between federal prosecutors and Pence’s legal team.
It was unclear if Pence’s testimony, papers, or both were what Smith requested. Smith and Pence both had spokespeople who declined to comment on the subpoena.
Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state for Georgia, had been urged by Trump to “find” him enough votes at the beginning of 2021 to make up for his vote deficit to Biden there. Smith had earlier issued a subpoena requesting documents from Raffensperger.
According to NBC, Smith sent subpoenas on authorities in swing states for conversations involving Trump, his campaign, and associates and allies who participated in the efforts to scuttle Biden‘s triumph.
Smith is also looking into Trump’s removal of sensitive materials from the White House and shipment of those documents to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has resided since leaving office.
Attorney General Merrick Garland named Smith as special counsel after Trump announced his intention to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
For almost 4 years, Jason Martin has been a freelance writer for newspapers, journals, blogs, books, and online material. He covers the most recent news as well as many other topics.