Special Counsel Jack Smith Subpoenas Mike Pence

Jack Smith, Special Counsel, is said to have subpoenaed Mike Pence. He requests documents and testimony relating to the January 6th riot. Pence is also requested to testify. Pence might be able invoke executive privilege.

Let’s be clear. Pence doesn’t have anything to worry about here. As far as January 6th events go, there is no evidence that he was wrong. Pence was the prime target of Capitol Hill rioters that day. Shouts of “Hang Mike Pence” were heard. Pence had to take his daughter and wife with him and secure them to a safe place. The special counsel still wants what he wants. Pence’s advisors previously said he was not interested in testifying before the January 6 committee. Pence has been reported to privately have stated that he is concerned about Trump’s testimony.

Quick question – if Pence is supposed to be too nervous to testify against Trump, is he going to run against him in the Republican presidential primary? I’m not convinced that Pence will run for president. He’s selling a book. It’s a good idea to play coy about running as president.

An interesting part of this story is that allegedly the subpoena was issued several days ago even though for months, federal prosecutors and Pence’s legal team have been in negotiations. What changed suddenly that Jack Smith issued a subpoena for Pence? Was Pence not cooperating anymore?

Smith might want Pence to testify in public about the events of January 6. He did not have any witnesses to his one-on-1 conversations with Trump.

Pence throws Trump’s lawyers under the bus in defense of the former president. He stated that Trump was given bad legal advice. Rudy Giuliani is even mocked by Trump. he doesn’t name names.

Pence stated that he spoke with NBC last year in an interview. ‘I don’You don’t know if bad advice from lawyers is illegal.

‘The truth is, what the president was repeating is what he was hearing from that gaggle of attorneys around him,’ he continued, in an apparent swipe at Trump’s one-time personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

‘Presidents, just like all of us that have served in public life, you have to rely on your team, you have to rely on the credibility of the people around you.

‘So as time goes on, I hope we can move beyond this, beyond that prospect. And this is really a time when our country ought to be healing.’

Federal prosecutors claim that Pence was a central figure in Trump’s efforts to stay in power. Pence’s role on Capitol Hill that day was largely ceremonial. He was responsible for the certification of election results. Trump was under the impression Pence could refuse to recognize the results of the 2020 election, and send them back the the states. His lawyers encouraged him to think so.

Also subpoenaed was former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. According to Bloomberg, unnamed sources say O’Brien received two subpoenas. They demand documents and testimony.

O’Brien considered resigning from the administration but stayed on for the remainder of Trump’s term in office. He didn’t like the events of January 6, in other words, just not enough to resign and leave the Trump administration. Swampy, right?

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases