Former Vice President Mike Pence may not want to tell his January 6th story (at least outside of a book tour) but former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner is laying out all the reasons he believes that the evangelical politician will be forced to do so before all is said and done.
Pence, who was one of the targets on January 6th, has been balancing on a thread, dropping criticisms of Donald Trump’s actions and insights from that day’s experience as he hawks his new book — and still refusing to take his criticism to the legal bodies carrying out actual investigations.
On camera, he admits Trump was the problem — but when called upon by the January 6th Committee, he tells the Congressional panel that they’re not entitled to his testimony.
Kirschner, who retired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2018, leaned on his experience and knowledge to weigh in on Pence’s refusal to cooperate.
He ridiculed Pence’s claim that Congress — “and by extension, the American people” — have no right to his testimony, and said that he believes that the former VP will see the inside of a Grand Jury hearing room.
Kirschner indicated that Pence will speak to the special counsel, Jack Smith, who was recently appointed to the case, whether or not he does so voluntarily.
Moreover, after that, he’s willing to bet that the next step will be testifying before the Grand Jury.
In an MSNBC interview, Kirschner said:
“He also said seven words that I think should lead the American voters to decide that he’s unqualified to hold office in the future. He said, ‘Congress has no right to my testimony.’..Mike Pence has some of the most directly relevant evidence because he’s what we call a ‘fact witness’…and Mike Pence has said Congress, and by extension the American people, have ‘no right to my testimony.'”
Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that the Justice Department is seeking Pence’s testimony, and that, despite flatly refusing it to the Congressional panel, he is “considering” testifying voluntarily to the DOJ.
If he decides against doing so, he can likely expect a subpoena.
Watch Kirschner explain his view below:
"He is a central figure with some of the most important evidence." @glennkirschner2 speaks to @yasminv about why Mike Pence's testimony is crucial to the January 6 investigation. pic.twitter.com/mJOcgfnkuk
— Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (@YasminMSNBC) November 26, 2022
Steph Bazzle covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph.
