Grand Jury in Washington
That could be dangerous for Trump: Ex-Vice President Pence testifies in investigations into the Capitol storm
Donald Trump and then Vice President Mike Pence in February 2020
© Michael Brochstein / Zuma Wire / DPA
Mike Pence had long resisted having to testify against his former boss Donald Trump. Now the former US Vice President has appeared in court after all. His statement could be dangerous for Trump.
The investigation into former US President Donald Trump in the violent storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 is gaining momentum. According to media reports, his former deputy, Mike Pence, testified on Thursday (local time) before a grand jury about Trump’s role. For hours, Pence was a witness in a federal court in the capital Washington and answered questions, it said. Nothing was known about the content of his statement. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s spokesman, who is leading the investigation, did not comment on the incident, ABC News reported.
Pence could be a key witness in the case against Trump. As its vice president, he chaired the Senate session on the day of the storming of the Capitol, in which the election of incumbent President Joe Biden was to be officially recognized and which was interrupted by the attack. He was also close to Trump at key moments surrounding the attempt to overturn the election.
Mike Pence narrowly escaped Capitol attackers
On January 6, 2021, Trump urged his supporters in a speech to march to the Capitol and fight “whatever the hell”. They then violently stormed the seat of the US Congress, where the Republican’s election defeat by Biden was to be authenticated. Trump had previously openly called on his deputy to block the procedure for certifying Biden’s election victory. The attackers repeatedly shouted “Hang Mike Pence” throughout the storm. Five people died in or as a result of the attack. The vice himself narrowly escaped the angry mob, as a congressional investigative committee later revealed.
Pence’s testimony was preceded by a lengthy legal battle. Trump went to court because he wanted to prevent his former deputy from being questioned. However, an appeals court dismissed him. Pence himself had always refused the investigators’ demands to testify in the case. As vice president, he was also automatically chairman of the Senate, which is why he chaired the January 6 session. Pence invoked a safeguard clause on congressional debates to avoid questioning. Most recently, however, a judge ordered the 63-year-old to testify. Pence declined to appeal the judge’s decision.
In mid-March, Pence said Trump’s reckless words had endangered his family and everyone in the Capitol that day. “And I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable,” he said.
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Special Counsel Smith, appointed by the Justice Department, must determine whether there is enough evidence to prosecute Trump. In December, the Congressional Committee of Inquiry accused Trump of several crimes and recommended that the Justice Department take action against Trump. However, the recommendations are not binding. Of the allegations made, the rare criminal offense of rioting would be the most serious. It is fulfilled under US law by inciting or participating in insurrection against the authority of the state or the law. This is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to ten years or both. So if Trump is convicted of sedition, he would no longer be allowed to hold political office.
Donald Trump has numerous procedures to deal with
But it’s not just because of the investigation into the attack on the Capitol that Trump is legally in trouble. It was only on Wednesday that the US author Jean Carroll accused him of sex crimes in a civil lawsuit she brought. Trump raped her in the mid-1990s, she said in a New York court. In another case, also in New York, in which Trump paid hush money to a porn actress, charges have now been brought against the ex-president. It is the first time that a former president has been brought before a court in a criminal case. Trump’s appearance in court for the indictment in early April became a media spectacle.
In addition, the ex-president is being investigated for Trump’s handling of secret government documents. Because he kept secret files in his private property after moving out of the White House and did not want to release them even when asked by the authorities, Trump could have made himself liable to prosecution. Special Counsel Jack Smith is also investigating in this case. In the state of Georgia, the local prosecutor is also investigating whether Trump is guilty of attempted election interference. She wants to decide in the summer whether she will press charges.
Trump himself describes the actions of law enforcement agencies against him as politically motivated and wants to retake the White House regardless of the numerous legal proceedings in the 2024 presidential election. Pence is considered a potential rival in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The arch-conservative politician has not yet announced an application.