DOJ prosecutors seek testimony from former Vice President Pence in January 6 criminal probe - CNN

CNN  — 

Justice Department prosecutors person reached retired to representatives of former Vice President Mike Pence to question his grounds successful the transgression probe into efforts by erstwhile President Donald Trump and allies to impede the transportation of powerfulness aft the 2020 election, according to radical acquainted with the matter.

Pence’s squad has indicated that the erstwhile vice president is unfastened to discussing a imaginable statement with the Justice Department to supply immoderate testimony, 1 idiosyncratic said.

The New York Times archetypal reported the outreach to Pence.

The petition occurred earlier the Justice Department appointed a peculiar counsel to oversee 2 Trump-related investigations, including the January 6, 2021-related probe and different into alleged mishandling of classified materials recovered astatine Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, location and resort. It’s unclear however peculiar counsel Jack Smith’s assignment volition impact discussions betwixt the Justice Department and Pence’s team.

The Justice Department declined to remark to CNN, arsenic did a typical for Pence.

Pence precocious published a memoir that described immoderate of his interactions with Trump arsenic the erstwhile president sought to overturn the 2020 predetermination results. The book’s work had raised anticipation that the Justice Department would apt question accusation astir those interactions arsenic portion of the transgression investigation.

Pence has rebuffed an interrogation petition from the House prime committee investigating January 6, but helium has allowed apical aides to supply grounds successful the House’s probe, arsenic good arsenic successful the Justice Department’s transgression investigation.

CNN antecedently reported that the Justice Department has successfully secured answers from apical Pence advisers Greg Jacob and Marc Short successful important tribunal victories that could marque it much apt the transgression probe reaches further into Trump’s interior circle.

Jacob’s grounds connected October 6 marked the archetypal identifiable clip erstwhile the confidentiality Trump had tried to support astir the West Wing aft the 2020 predetermination had been pierced successful the transgression probe pursuing a tribunal battle. A week aft Jacob spoke to the expansive assemblage again, Short had his ain expansive assemblage quality date, CNN reported.

Among a ample radical of erstwhile apical Trump officials, Jacob has been 1 of the astir searing voices condemning the then-president’s actions aft the election, particularly regarding the unit helium and his predetermination attorney, John Eastman, tried to spot connected Pence to artifact the legislature certification of the statesmanlike vote.

In his memoir, the erstwhile vice president wrote that Trump warned him days earlier the January 6 onslaught connected the US Capitol that helium would animate the hatred of hundreds of thousands of radical due to the fact that helium was “too honest” to effort to overturn the 2020 predetermination results.

Saying Trump was “reckless” with his tweet attacking his vice president that day, Pence was captious of the erstwhile president implicit the events surrounding the insurrection. He had told Trump straight afterward, helium wrote, that helium was aggravated and that what he’d seen that time infuriated him.

Still, Pence said earlier this period that Congress has “no right” to his grounds and that helium was “closing the door” connected providing it to the House prime committee – prompting swift disapproval from the committee’s apical 2 members.

“The Select Committee has proceeded respectfully and responsibly successful our engagement with Vice President Pence, truthful it is disappointing that helium is misrepresenting the quality of our probe portion giving interviews to beforehand his caller book,” said Reps. Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney, who service arsenic the panel’s seat and vice chair, successful a associated connection astatine the time.

This communicative has been updated with further details.