USA
Ex-Vice President Pence testifies in investigation against Trump
Mike Pence, former Vice President of the United States, during a speech in the state of Alabama. photo
© Michael Palmer/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Former US Vice President Mike Pence has long wanted to avoid making a statement against his former boss. Now he has appeared in court. 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 yesterday (local time) 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.
Trump supporters chanted “Hang Mike Pence”
On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US Congress, where the Republican’s election defeat by Biden was to be authenticated. A crowd incited by Trump violently entered the building, killing five people. 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. 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. Pence has always refused investigators’ requests 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 Pence to testify. Pence declined to appeal the judge’s decision.
The criminal offense of riot would be serious
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.
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.
Media spectacle in another matter
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 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 the law enforcement authorities against him as politically motivated. The Republican is running again for the presidential elections next year for the highest office in the state.