Jan. 6 committee getting ‘significant cooperation’ from top Pence aide: CNN

Marc Short, ex-chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, is cooperating with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, CNN reported on Monday. 

Short, who is still one of Pence’s closest advisers, was reportedly subpoenaed by the committee in recent weeks. He is a notable witness to the events of Jan. 6, including what happened to Pence and how former President Trump pressed Pence not to certify the results of the presidential election. 

Though the committee has not openly discussed it, a source told CNN that the panel is getting “significant cooperation with Team Pence,” according to CNN. 

It had previously been reported that Short and other figures close to the former vice president could work with the committee either voluntarily or under the guise of a “friendly subpoena.”  

During the counting of Electoral College votes that would affirm President Biden’s win in the 2020 election, rioters stormed the Capitol, some of whom even chanted, “Hang Mike Pence” based on the belief that Pence was unwilling to overturn Trump’s defeat in the election.

Pence has maintained that he believes he “did the right thing” by certifying the results of the 2020 election.

Earlier this year, the former vice president said he was proud of his role on that day, noting that he did not have the constitutional authority to reject or return electoral votes that had been certified by the states.

“There are those in our party who believe that in my position as presiding officer over the joint session that I possess the authority to reject or return electoral votes certified by the states,” Pence said at that time. “The Constitution provides the vice president with no such authority before the joint session of Congress.”

“And I will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfilled our duty under the Constitution,” he added.

The Jan. 6 panel has already seen pushback from multiple Trump officials unwilling to cooperate in its probe, including Stephen Bannon, who refused a subpoena and now faces charges of criminal contempt of Congress.