The former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, announced yesterday that he will not respond to the demand of the investigative committee established by Congress, and will not appear before it to give testimony about the events that took place at the end of President Trump’s term, and at the center of which was the break-in to the Capitol building. “They have no right to oblige me to testify”
Mike Pence refuses to appear before the investigative committee of the US House of Representatives, in the US there is legal authority in the hands of congressional committees to summon witnesses and compel them to appear before it. Those who refuse to do so are subject to a prison sentence for doing so. However, it is likely that with the swearing in of a House With the new elected, the investigation committee established by the existing Congress will be abolished, and it seems that until then Pence will be able to delay his arrival by legal means.
In explaining his refusal, Pence said that in the US there is a separation of powers, and Congress is not allowed to interfere in the conduct of the White House, the president or his vice president. Pence added that in his opinion, subpoenaing a former vice president to testify before Congress, for events that took place during his tenure, constitutes a violation of the principle of separation of powers “If I come to testify, it will set a terrible precedent for Congress,” he said, “they have no right to compel me to testify.”
It should be noted that in recent days a quote by Pence was published in which he harshly criticizes former President Trump, and the way he refused to accept the election results. Trump urged Pence to take advantage of his position as chairman of the Senate, in order to announce the suspension of the election results and the opening of a comprehensive investigation to find the frauds that Trump claims were extensive. When Pence refused to do so, Trump treated him as a traitor, and according to Pence, “Trump endangered my life” , because Trump’s staunch fans incited against Pence in a wild and unrestrained way, to the point of fearing that one of them would try to assassinate him.