Mike Pence is reportedly considering speaking with the DOJ about Jan. 6
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been approached by, and is potentially open to speaking with, Justice Department investigators probing efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
While Pence has not been subpoenaed, the Times' Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt report that he was approached by DOJ investigator Thomas Windom, and is actively considering giving witness testimony about former President Donald Trump's alleged efforts to subvert and overturn his 2020 electoral loss. Pence has rejected similar overtures to participate in Congress' separate investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but allegedly sees the Justice Department's criminal investigation as a potentially more palatable alternative.
Haberman and Schmidt's report comes days after Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the appointment of longtime former DOJ prosecutor Jack Smith as a special counsel overseeing both the department's 2020 election inquiry and its investigation into Trump's mishandling of classified information at his Mar-a-Lago estate. According to the Times, Windom approached Pence about potential testimony several weeks before Smith was appointed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Both Pence and the Justice Department declined to comment on the report.
Pence is in the process of expanding his political staff as he considers a potential 2024 presidential run of his own. He has also spent his fall promoting his book So Help Me God, in which he defends much of his tenure in the Trump administration, while wryly noting it "did not end well."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Palazzo Durazzo Suites in Genoa: a palatial gem in northern Italy
The Week Recommends Live your Italian dream in this astonishing and recently restored palace in the heart of the city
By Nick Hendry Published
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Arizona grand jury indicts 18 in Trump fake elector plot
Speed Read The state charged Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies in 2020 election interference case
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
National Enquirer helped Trump in 2016, ex-boss says
Speed Read David Pecker says the tabloid published fabricated content to hurt Trump's rivals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sitting in judgment on Trump
Opinion Who'd want to be on this jury?
By Susan Caskie Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published