Former vice president Mike Pence was subpoenaed as part of a special counsel investigation into former president Donald Trump's actions leading to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

On that day, Trump-supporters protested the Electoral College certification of then-candidate Joe Biden.

The subpoena was issued by special counsel Jack Smith, who was tasked by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to investigate the classified documents seized by the FBI from the former president's residence in Florida.

According to ABC News, the subpoena from Smith requests documents and testimony relating to Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.  Smith's office wants the former vice president to testify about the interactions he had with Trump following the election and the events of Jan. 6, according to CNN.

Former U.S. House rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.) said Pence should cooperate with the subpoena.  "He's got to be the straight-up guy he is, or he loses his brand," Weber said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had reached out to Pence during the ongoing investigation into the events surrounding Jan. 6.

Previously, Pence's team published a memoir that detailed some of his interactions with the former president and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Although the former vice president has been critical of Trump's actions leading up to the events of that day, he previously declined to speak before the House Jan. 6 Committee, calling its investigation "partisan."

Additionally, Pence was a key figure in Trump's attempts to challenge the election.  He, as president of the Senate, refused to send electoral votes back to their respective legislatures on Jan. 6.

Thus, Joe Biden was certified as president of the U.S.

The relationship between Trump and Pence dwindled following the certification of the 2020 election.  Trump has strongly alleged that the election was "rigged" and "stolen."  Contrarily, Pence has publicly stated that he believes that Joe Biden was the legitimate winner.

Pence has shown interest in running against Trump in the 2024 presidential election.  However, the subpoena by Smith might complicate his hopes to seek the office of president.

Image: Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.