Pence's former chief of staff appears before Jan. 6 grand jury
Marc Short, who served as chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, appeared before a federal grand jury last week investigating matters connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the matter.
His appearance was under subpoena, according to the person.
Short is one of the most significant witnesses known to face grand jury questions related to Jan. 6. He was at Pence’s side during the chaotic weeks after the 2020 election, helping Donald Trump's No. 2 fend off pressure from the then-president to single-handedly overturn the results.
Short testified to the Jan. 6 select committee in January about Pence’s efforts to convince Trump that he lacked the power to overturn the election, a message Pence relayed numerous times in the weeks before Jan. 6. But Trump, relying on a cadre of fringe attorneys, pushed a theory that Pence — who was charged by the Constitution with presiding over the count of electoral votes on Jan. 6 — could unilaterally refuse to count dozens of electors for Joe Biden, or postpone the count altogether.
Short’s testimony was featured in the public hearings the House's Jan. 6 select committee has held over the last several weeks. Top Pence counsel Greg Jacob, who took the lead on helping Pence resist the pressure campaign, testified publicly at a hearing last month about his involvement, including a flurry of exchanges with Trump attorney John Eastman while Pence was fleeing the violent Jan. 6 mob.
The select committee has publicly expressed uncertainty about whether it will formally request Pence’s cooperation or testimony, with multiple members suggesting it may be unnecessary given the thorough cooperation from Short, Jacob and other Pence aides.
ABC first reported Short’s grand jury appearance, which came on the same day a jury convicted Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress related to his refusal to respond to a Jan. 6 select committee subpoena for testimony and documents. The network noted that its cameras observed Short and his attorney, Emmet Flood, departing the courthouse.