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Thursday 3 augusT 2023
Mike Pence is a central figure in his former boss's indictment

Continued from Front about official legislative
acts.
Pence, who is among a Pence eventually com-
crowded field of Repub- plied when a judge refused
licans now challenging to block his appearance,
Trump for the 2024 presi- but said he wouldn't be
dential nomination, has forced to answer questions
spent much of his nascent related to his role as Senate
campaign defending his president.
decision to defy Trump. He Trump's lawyers had ob-
launched his bid with a firm jected, too, citing execu-
denunciation of his two- tive privilege concerns.
time running mate, saying Trump's new indictment
Trump had "demanded I outlines his and his allies'
choose between him and frantic efforts to remain in
our Constitution. Now vot- power. After first trying to
ers will be faced with the persuade state lawmakers
same choice." to reject certifying Biden's
Still, Pence said last month win, it says, they focused on
that he did not believe Jan. 6 and "sought to enlist
Trump had broken the law the Vice President to use
in connection with Jan. 6 his ceremonial role at the
and has repeatedly ques- certification to fraudulently
tioned the Department of Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a stop at alter the election results."
Justice's motivations for in- the Indiana State Fair, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in Indianapolis. They tried to persuade him
vestigating him. Associated Press to accept slates of fake
On Tuesday night, he hit he had "done his duty" that emonial role overseeing minimum, though he has electors or to reject states'
anew on his belief that day. the counting of the Elec- reached the polling thresh- electoral votes and send
Trump was unfit to serve "Sadly the president was toral College votes on Jan. old. them back to state legisla-
again. "Today's indictment surrounded by a group of 6 to prevent Democrat Joe In Washington, Pence tures for further review, the
serves as an important re- crackpot lawyers that kept Biden from becoming presi- had refused to testify be- indictment says.
minder: Anyone who puts telling him what his itch- dent. fore the House committee That effort included a se-
himself over the Constitu- ing ears wanted to hear," Trump critics, on the other that investigated the Jan. ries of phone calls in late
tion should never be Presi- he said. "The president ul- hand, fault Pence as being 6 attack, dismissing the December and early Janu-
dent of the United States," timately continued to de- complicit in Trump's most probe as politicized. And ary, including on Christmas
he said in a statement. "Our mand that I choose him controversial actions and he fought a subpoena de- Day.
country is more important over the Constitution." standing by his side for so manding he testify before "You know I don't think
than one man. Our Con- Despite his once-prominent many years. Until the insur- a grand jury, arguing that, I have the authority to
stitution is more important position as Trump's No. 2, rection, Pence had been because he was serving on change the outcome,"
than any one man's ca- Pence has struggled to an extraordinarily loyal de- Jan. 6 as president of the Pence said during one call
reer." At a campaign stop gain traction in his presi- fender of his former boss. Senate, he was protected with Trump, the indictment
Wednesday at the Indiana dential campaign. Many of With just three weeks until under the Constitution's says. In another, on New
State Fair, Pence, who pre- the former president's most the first 2024 GOP presi- "speech or debate" clause Year's Day, Trump berated
viously served as the state's loyal supporters still blame dential debate, it's unclear from being forced to tes- Pence, telling him, "You're
governor, said he had him for Trump's loss, believ- if Pence will even qualify tify. That provision is intend- too honest" — an episode
"hoped it wouldn't come ing Trump's false claims that to make the stage. He ed to protect members of also recounted in Pence's
to this," but believed that he could have used his cer- has yet to meet the donor Congress from questioning book "So Help Me God."q

Police search Senate office buildings after report of active shooter

ter a 911 call warned of a tial election. Trump is due in three structures near the
possible active shooter. But federal court Thursday just Capitol housing offices for
a floor-by-floor search of a few blocks from the Cap- senators and their staffs.
the three buildings found itol. Manger said Washing- Capitol Police began a
nothing, and Capitol Po- ton's multiple law enforce- search, going floor by floor
lice Chief Tom Manger said ment agencies had been through the massive build-
the cause of the security planning "for a couple ings. Inside the Russell Sen-
scramble "may have been weeks now" for a possible ate Office Building, officers
a bogus call." indictment and had "a se- evacuated the hallways
"We found nothing con- curity plan in place" in case and shouted at people to
cerning," he said. "We Trump supporters attempt run outside and away from
got nobody who actually to disrupt the legal pro- the building. Outside, tour-
heard shots and certainly ceedings. ists watched as dozens of
no victims." The incident The lockdown Wednesday police cars surrounded
comes amid heightened started when local police the area. Staff and jour-
Government staffers walk out of the Russell Senate Office security concerns created received a call around nalists working in the build-
Building, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. by former President Don- 2:30 Wednesday afternoon ing received an email
Associated Press ald Trump's indictment on warning of a "heavyset His- instructing them to take
WASHINGTON (AP) — Au- Senate office buildings charges relating to his at- panic male wearing body shelter in a locked room,
thorities issued a shelter-in- near the U.S. Capitol tempts to overturn the re- armor" inside the Hart Sen- remain quiet and silence all
place order and searched Wednesday afternoon af- sults of the 2020 presiden- ate Office Building, one of electronics.q