Lawmaker on Jan. 6 probe panel expects Mike Pence to testify voluntarily By Reuters

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. lawmaker Jamie Raskin, a member of the Home of Representatives panel probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, mentioned on Sunday he anticipated former Vice President Mike Pence to testify voluntarily earlier than the committee.

“I’d hope he would come ahead and testify about what occurred,” Raskin mentioned on Pence’s potential testimony in an interview to CBS Information.

“In nobody’s case is a subpoena out of query, however I’d assume he’s going to come back ahead and testify voluntarily,” he added when requested about whether or not the committee was more likely to concern a subpoena for Pence.

Pence has mentioned he thinks former President Donald Trump was unsuitable to imagine the previous vice chairman had the ability to reverse the result of the 2020 election. The election outcomes have been being licensed by Pence and lawmakers when the Capitol was attacked by supporters of Trump, a Republican, after weeks of false claims by the previous president that he had received the vote.

Pence mentioned in August that he would think about testifying earlier than the committee if requested however added later that he additionally thought of the Jan. 6 committee to have “a partisan taint.”

The panel held eight hearings over six weeks, which wrapped up in July and featured hours of testimony from shut Trump allies and former White Home employees.

The hearings have been meant to put out a case that Trump violated the regulation as he tried to cease the peaceable switch of energy from one president to the following. The panel has mentioned it plans to push its investigation additional within the coming weeks.

Raskin added that Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the spouse of Supreme Courtroom Justice Clarence Thomas, also needs to testify.

The justice’s spouse is energetic in conservative political circles and has mentioned she attended a rally by Trump outdoors the White Home earlier than his supporters marched on the Capitol to attempt to block certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election win.

The Washington Submit had reported earlier that the Jan. 6 committee obtained emails between Ginni Thomas and lawyer John Eastman, who had suggested Trump that Pence might thwart formal congressional certification of Trump’s loss. Her lawyer, Mark R. Paoletta, mentioned she had no position within the Jan. 6 assault and by no means mentioned election litigation technique with Eastman.

“I’d say she has related testimony to render and she or he ought to come ahead and provides it”, Raskin mentioned on Sunday.

The Democratic lawmaker added he was “talking solely as one member” of the committee.

In June, Ginni Thomas expressed eagerness to talk with the panel however her lawyer later mentioned the committee ought to present a greater justification for why her testimony was related.