The Secret Service said Vice President Mike Pence was taken to an underground loading dock during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, where he stayed for about five hours.
The agency revealed Mr. Pence’s whereabouts on Monday, during the federal trial of Couy Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner and founder of the Cowboys for Trump group.
Secret Service Inspector Lanelle Hawa said in her testimony that Mr. Pence was evacuated around 2:26 p.m. from the Senate chamber and taken to a loading dock under the Senate plaza, where he waited for his wife and daughter, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The revelation marks the first time that law enforcement said where Mr. Pence was after he had left the chamber.
“We took him to a secure location … underground. It was in the loading dock,” Inspector Hawa said.
Inspector Hawa added that the loading dock and the Capitol grounds were a restricted area that had been established for the Electoral College vote certification.
Mr. Griffin is the second Jan. 6 rioter to face a trial. He is charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden sided with Mr. Griffin’s defense team, who revealed Mr. Pence’s location despite opposition from the Justice Department.
Judge McFadden said he didn’t think the government was “entitled to some Secret Service exception or sensitive information exception from proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Prosecutors said the revelation could endanger other officials and could be a national security concern.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Griffin said on social media that he had a “first row seat” to the riot while climbing up the Capitol, as well as leading a speech and prayer that day.
Mr. Griffin opted for a bench trial to be decided by Judge McFadden, a Trump appointee, rather than a jury trial.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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