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Donald Trump's lawyers accused former Vice President Mike Pence of colluding with President Joe Biden to protect himself against potential legal charges in a new court filing.
The former president's attorneys filed a new motion to compel discovery in his federal election interference case Monday night, in which they raised questions about the former vice president's credibility. Pence has been critical of Trump's actions surrounding the 2020 election, which he claimed was stolen via widespread fraud, despite lacking evidence. Federal prosecutors argue his election fraud claims culminated in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building, when a group of his supporters violently protested the election results.
A federal grand jury in August indicted Trump on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, following Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the election results. The probe focused on alleged attempts to submit false slates of pro-Trump electors from swing states he lost to the Electoral College.
Trump maintains his innocence, accusing prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes. He pleaded not guilty, as he did in his three other criminal cases.
In the new court filing, Trump's attorneys suggested Pence may have provided information to the Biden administration to avoid charges for allegedly being in possession of classified documents after leaving the White House.
"The potential criminal charges faced by Vice President Pence gave him an incentive to curry favor with authorities by providing information that is consistent with the Biden Administration's preferred, and false, narrative regarding this case," the filing, first reported by Politico's Kyle Cheney, reads.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek it is normal for defense attorneys to accuse cooperating witnesses of lying to save themselves to attack their credibility.
"I'm not surprised Trump's lawyers are using the same strategy in their pre-trial motions, and it's a preview of what we'll see at trial. The defense will have to have an explanation for the jurors as to why former members of Trump's inner circle and his former lawyers are testifying for the prosecution. Arguing that they're 'rats' is probably their best bet," Rahmani said.
Newsweek reached out to Pence's team for comment via email.
Pence avoided charges after classified documents were found at his home in Indiana. He turned over at least a dozen of the documents in January, and one other was found in a February search. Trump, on the other hand, is facing criminal charges after classified documents were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Legal analysts note that Trump and Pence handled the classified documents differently, arguing that Pence's cooperation with federal authorities and turning over the documents willingly helped him avoid charges, while Trump not cooperating has resulted in federal prosecutors charging him.
Biden, like Pence, also turned over classified documents found at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and has not been charged.
Trump and Pence were onetime close allies, but their relationship soured following Jan. 6. Pence refused to block Biden's Electoral College victory during the certification, enraging Trump and his supporters. Pence has rejected Trump's claims of the election being stolen and has maintained that he did the right thing by certifying Biden's win.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more