Donald Trump under DoJ scanner over Capitol riots as Jan 6 hearings pause

The United
States Department of Justice (DoJ) is probing former President Donald Trump as
part of an investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential
elections, Washington Post reported. According to the report, two aides of
former Vice President Mike Pence were questioned before a grand jury. The questions
were centred around conversations they had with Trump who apparently tried to
provide lists of fake voters in swing states won by Joe Biden, reported
Washington Post citing two people familiar with the matter.

The two Pence
aides who testified before a grand jury are Marc Short, former Mike Pence chief
of staff, and Greg Jacob, CNN reported. Reports indicate the testimonies were
focussed on Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme and the role played by the
former president’s lawyers Rudi Giuliani and John Eastman.

Testimonies
of Marc Short and Greg Jacob are deemed critical because both these senior
staff members were present at key meetings ahead of January 6, 2021. These
meetings are reported to have been attempts to convince Vice President Mike
Pence against certifying the election results.

Also Read | Capitol hearings: The 187 minutes that shook the United States

The DoJ has
seemed hesitant on approaching former President Donald Trump on questions of
impropriety with regard to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power. Charging a
former president is rife with political and legal sensitivities. But now, Mike
Pence’s inner circle seems to be willing to speak about how things ran in the
Trump White House leading up to the Capitol riots.

This is
happening at a time when Mike Pence has already severed ties with Donald Trump
and the two Republican leaders have put their weight behind opposing candidates
in GOP primaries in Georgia and Arizona.

Adam
Kinzinger, one of the Republican representatives in the House select committee
probing the Capitol riots, said that Pence aides testifying is a “positive
development”. “The Department of Justice needs to look at any possible
criminality…I ask, what have they been doing for the last year and a half. That
said, if they are moving forward on look at this stuff, that’s positive for the
country,” Kinzinger told CNN.