Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday was subpoenaed by the special prosecutor who is overseeing investigations involving former President Donald Trump, according to published reports.
ABC News, quoting unnamed sources, said that special counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed Pence but did not elaborate as to what he was seeking. According to CNN, Smith’s office is seeking documents and testimony related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The New York Times also reported the news of the subpoena, citing an unnamed source.
The subpoena was served in “recent” days, an anonymous source told The Associated Press.
Breaking News: Mike Pence is said to have been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. https://t.co/hgvgYcc4Gb
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 9, 2023
Smith is also seeking testimony from Pence about his interactions with the former president leading up to the 2020 election and the day of the attack on the Capitol, CNN reported.
The subpoena follows months of negotiations between federal prosecutors and Pence’s attorneys, the news outlet reported. The move by the Justice Department sets up a likely clash over executive privilege, according to the Times.
Smith was appointed in November to oversee a pair of investigations related to Trump. He was charged with probing whether any person or entity interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, specifically related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed in the special counsel's investigation into Jan. 6, a source confirms to CNN. Jack Smith's office is seeking documents and testimony related to Jan. 6, the source said. Pence's office declined to comment.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 9, 2023
Smith also was tasked with investigations involving the certification of Electoral College votes and classified documents and other records seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last August.
A spokesperson for Pence did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News. The special counsel’s office also declined to comment. An aide to Pence also declined comment to the Times. An official with the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment by the newspaper.
Pence, who is considering a run for the presidency in 2024, was a central figure in Trump’s attempt to hold onto power in the two months after his election loss in November 2020. Trump tried to persuade Pence to use his ceremonial role in overseeing Congress’ certification of the Electoral College results and block the process, the Times reported.
Pence refused Trump’s request.
Trump has already announced his intention to run for a second term in 2024. A spokesperson for the former president did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Smith previously served as chief of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, a department focused on public corruption and election crime cases. He also served as chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, charged with investigating and adjudicating war crimes in Kosovo.
Check back for more on this developing story.
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