Former Vice President Mike Pence’s relevance to Jack Smith’s special counsel investigation is not in doubt. The Indiana Republican was not only hunted by Donald Trump’s radicalized followers during the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol, but Pence was also pressured by the former president to participate in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results.
For those investigating the Jan. 6 attack and Trump’s campaign to stay in power despite his defeat, Pence’s perspective is uniquely important. With this in mind, it didn’t come as too big a surprise when the former vice president received a subpoena from the special counsel’s office.
Pence soon after made clear that he has no intention of honoring the legal process. As NBC News reported, Smith seems disinclined to take no for an answer.
Special counsel Jack Smith has asked a federal judge to compel former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before a federal grand jury about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a senior law enforcement official confirmed to NBC News on Friday. The motion was filed before U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington and remains sealed. It was first reported by CBS News.
Time will tell whether the special counsel prevails — most legal experts seem to agree that the odds are in his favor — but while the process moves forward, it’s worth pausing to appreciate Pence’s explanation for why, exactly, he feels justified blowing off a federal subpoena.
“Let me first be clear: I’m going to fight the Biden DOJ subpoena for me to appear before the grand jury because I believe it’s unconstitutional and it’s unprecedented,” Pence told reporters last week. The Republican made related comments on Friday to NBC News’ Ali Vitali, saying, “The idea of subpoenaing a former vice president to testify in court against the president, with whom he served, I believe is unprecedented in American history. But as I said last week, I also think it’s…
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