Jack Smith, the special counsel in the Trump probes, dropped in on Mike Pence's testimony last week as the former vice president was questioned for more than five hours by federal prosecutors investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, CNN reported that Smith and Pence had a respectful exchange.
Smith's appearance marked the first reported instance of the special counsel attending a grand jury proceeding in the investigation, according to CNN. Working with a team of prosecutors, Smith is leading the criminal probe into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The New York Daily News reported that the grand-jury proceeding marked the first time that a former vice president has been forced to testify against his former boss, with Pence's testimony coming just hours after former President Donald Trump's failed bid to block it.
A federal judge previously ruled that Pence could be compelled to testify about conversations he and then-President Trump had leading up to Jan. 6. Pence challenged his subpoena and somewhat succeeded in narrowing the focus of the questioning.
Pence's testimony was the first time he had spoken under oath about the breach of the U.S. Capitol building and Trump's effort to get him to join the "stop the steal" movement, which claims election fraud put President Joe Biden in the White House.
While Pence has spoken about breaking with Trump on Jan. 6 during political appearances and on his recent book tour, he had avoided testifying under oath as part of any investigation.
According to CNN, Smith's office had fought in sealed proceedings to force Pence to testify before the grand jury.
Pence's meeting with federal investigators came while he is exploring a possible presidential run, which would pit him against Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination.
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