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But court filings unsealed last week, paired with new details about President Donald Trump's own knowledge of events, indicate a wide circle of advisers were aware that Flynn raised the issue when he spoke by phone to Moscow's envoy -- even as Pence reportedly remained in the dark.

The new questions raised by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation signal what could be a pivotal moment in Pence's careful calibration of trying to keep a safe distance from the Russia probe even while maintaining his credibility for being left out of the loop by the West Wing.

Pence -- who was in charge of Trump's transition -- knew Flynn had contacted Russia, but was left unaware of the sanctions discussion, according to transition officials. It's led to anxiety within Pence's circle that he'll eventually be called to sit for an interview with Mueller.

"They are preparing for that," a person in Pence's orbit said, a sentiment echoed by another source close to the Vice President: "Chairing the transition would make it possible regardless of who it was."

Pence's spokeswoman pushed back on the notion his office is preparing for a potential interview.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The vice president is focused on passing the largest tax cut in American history," Alyssa Farah, Pence's press secretary, told CNN on Tuesday.

Lawmakers also say Pence owes them answers on what he knew at the time.

"I think he has new questions to answer," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, who said he wanted Pence to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain what he knew at the time about Flynn's conversations with Russian officials.

In the days since Flynn's guilty plea was unveiled last week, seven people close to the vice president continue to maintain that Pence did not know Flynn spoke with Kislyak about Russian sanctions, despite being the head of the Trump transition.

But among top transition officials, Pence would have been largely alone in his lack of knowledge. According to court filings released last week, Flynn spoke with "senior members of the Presidential Transition Team" about his conversations with Kislyak regarding the new US sanctions.

And Trump himself was told in January by the White House's chief lawyer that Flynn had misled the FBI and lied to Pence about his conversations with Kislyak. Flynn was fired on February 13.

Political chops

An establishment Republican who served for 10 years as a US representative prior to serving as Indiana governor, Pence is among the most politically experienced members of Trump's administration, and has taken on a wide swath of responsibility, including maintaining relationships on Capitol Hill and making frequent trips abroad.

But despite of -- or perhaps because of -- his political acuity, Pence has remained largely oblivious to contacts between Trump officials and Russian operatives, at least according to his aides.

Aside from the Flynn episode, Pence's aides said he did not know Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damning information about Hillary Clinton. And his office similarly claimed that Pence wasn't aware of Trump Jr.'s contact with WikiLeaks in the closing days of last year's presidential campaign. The President's son is set to meet with congressional investigators Wednesday.

In multiple conversations with CNN, the officials sought to explain Pence's role in the transition, his reaction to the news that Flynn had lied to him and why he wasn't aware of Flynn's actions.

A former senior transition official explained that Pence was mostly concerned with "human resources" and personnel in his role as transition chairman, which included oversight of major Cabinet appointments. Another adviser to the vice president said he was focused on interviewing candidates for Senate-confirmable posts.

Two senior transition officials mentioned to CNN that Pence was slowly weened off of email during the transition period, another step to prepare him for his new role as vice president. One of the officials says that Pence's team actively tried to protect him from the various characters in Trump Tower and transition offices during that time period.

"We definitely tried to cut down on the unfettered access folks had to him but it was more about allowing him to focus on the task at hand," this official said.

Transition roles

On the multiple days last December when Flynn was speaking with Kislyak, Pence was thousands of miles away, according to his travel records and a senior transition official at the time, conducting transition meetings in Washington and preparing for his son's wedding in Indianapolis, where he was also busy packing up his home to move to Washington.

One senior White House official said that while there was "some" interaction between Pence and Flynn during the transition, it was not "extensive."

"Mike was coming up with the process for filling Cabinet posts. The Flynn thing was out of his hands -- he's been on the campaign from the start," this official said when asked about Pence's level of trust in the incoming national security adviser.

It's that argument -- Pence was more of a newcomer than Flynn -- that people close to the vice president say bolsters his claim that he didn't know about the extent of these Russian calls. Yet that explanation will surely be tested anew as Mueller's probe reaches closer to Trump's inner circle.

Trump's national security team, who operated out of a conference room in Trump Tower, was based in New York during the transition, while Pence increasingly spent more time in Washington at the presidential transition offices blocks away from the White House. He even took up temporary residence at a house in Chevy Chase while Trump continued to live in his Manhattan apartment.

Two transition officials who prepared the vice president for his television appearance on January 15 said that questions about Flynn and Kislyak were not a surprise.

"We knew Pence would get asked about it," one senior transition official said.

Another transition official said Pence called Flynn on January 14 specifically so he could say during his Sunday show appearances that he'd spoken with the national security adviser about his conversations with Kislyak.

Flynn insisted to Pence did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak, and during his two television appearances, Pence readily relayed that information -- which turned out to be a lie. Pence discovered that Flynn lied to him through media reports on February 9 as The Washington Post reported that Flynn had in fact spoken with Kislyak about Russian sanctions.

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Russia probe tests Pence in-the-dark defense - CNNPolitics

Mike Pence Published 3:15 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 3:50 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

One year after Donald Trump wins election, his approval rates are low but hard core supporters in rust belt states are still hopeful on economy, immigration, health care (Nov. 8) AP

President Trump and Vice President Pence(Photo: Patrick Breen, The Arizona Republic)

One year ago Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump won a historic victory. But even more historic has been President Trumps record of accomplishment ever since.

Its been a year of action. Its been a year of results. And its been a year that will be remembered as the time we began to Make America Great Again.

OUR VIEW: A year after the election, Trump steers nation into turbulence

Thanks to the presidents leadership, the American economy is roaring. Businesses have created nearly 1.5 million new jobs. Manufacturers havent been this confident in 20 years. The stock market is setting records, creating nearly $5 trillion in wealth for the pension, retirement and savings of the American people. And after eight years of lackluster growth, the economy has already expanded by at least 3% for two quarters in a row.

The U.S. economy is making a comeback because President Trump has taken decisive action to spur a new era of opportunity, prosperity and growth.

Weve unleashed American energy, approved the Keystone and Dakota pipelines, and under President Trump, the war on coal is over.

Were appointing originalists to the federal courts, to uphold the Constitution and all our God-given liberties. And President Trump put Justice Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court.

President Trump has also taken decisive action to ensure the safety and security of the American people, at home and abroad. He has stood without apology with the men and women of law enforcement. Were securing our borders, enforcing our laws and taking the gang members, drug dealers and violent criminals off our streets.

The president is putting our veterans first. He signed bills to restore accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs and give veterans access to the world-class care they deserve.

Were rebuilding our military. President Trump has already signed the largest increase in defense spending in nearly 10 years, and we are working with Congress to pass one of the largest investments in the national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan.

With renewed American strength, the president is achieving real results on the international stage.

Our NATO allies are contributing more to our common defense. ISIS is on the run, and its caliphate is crumbling. This president reaffirmed the credibility of American power when he enforced a red line against chemical weapons in Syria. He put Iran on notice and made it clear that we cannot certify the Iran nuclear deal. And our administration has brought unprecedented economic and diplomatic pressure to bear on North Korea.

It has been a year of accomplishments, and were just getting started. Before this year is out, well pass historic tax cuts for the American people. And with President Trumps leadership, I know: We will Make America Great Again.

Mike Pence is vice president of the United States.

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Mike Pence: It has been a year of accomplishments

Fans react to Vice President Mike Pence for leaving the Colts game early. Clark Wade, Jim Ayello/IndyStar

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, stand during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)(Photo: Michael Conroy, AP)

INDIANAPOLIS North Korea and its nukes can wait. TheWhite House has declared war on the NFL. And on the First Amendment.

Two weeks after President Trump decreed that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem should be fired, Vice President Mike Pence walked out of Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday after about 20 members of the San Francisco 49ers knelt during the anthem. The 49ers were in town to play the Indianapolis Colts.

Pence was in town to upstage Peyton Manning.

More: Trump: I asked Pence to leave Colts game over anthem protests

Swarens:Mr. Vice President, please get your priorities straight

What, you think he didnt know the 49ers would kneel on Sunday? Pence knew. The 49ers are the one franchise, the only franchise, that have had at least one player kneel before every game since Colin Kaepernick was the first to do it in the 2016 preseason. Kaepernick played for the 49ers, of course. Last week, following Trumps unpatriotic assertion that he would fire someone for exercising their First Amendment rights, more than half the San Francisco roster knelt.

Pence knew.

Hell, the media members that follow Pence were told before the game not to bother leaving their vans and enter Lucas Oil Stadium, according to a tweet from NBC News Vaughn Hillyard. They wouldnt be there long, because Pence wouldnt be there long.Trump, as Trump is wont to do, took credit in a tweet for Pence's walkout by saying he'd asked Pence to leave if anyone knelt.

This was planned.

Listen, part of me a small part, and not that part that won this internal argument admired Pence for the irony of his blatant look-at-me maneuver. NFL players are doing the same thing when they kneel for the anthem, right? Its about making a statement. Its about pushing an agenda. Lets not be hypocritical here and ignore that.

And I say that as someone who supports their right to kneel, and more than that, understands why they do it. Great as our country is, best in the world, were still failing to provide equality for minorities. Its heartbreaking, so many of the headlines we get these days, like the ones last month from Charlottesville, Va. Go back a few years and there are other cities: Ferguson, Mo. Sanford, Fla. Baton Rouge. Minneapolis.

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The bigger part of me is stunned that the President and now Vice President of the United States would take such a public position against one of the greatest rights the U.S. Constitution grants us: freedom of speech. Its one thing for you to rip NFL players for kneeling during the anthem. They have the right to kneel, and you have the right to hate it. You have the right to boo. You have the right to rise from your seat and leave the game. So many of my family members fought overseas, some of them not coming back completely whole, for you to have that right. So, boo. So, leave. You dont have my agreement, but you have my support.

But when the top two elected leaders of our democracy decide that political speech in this case, a silent and non-violent form of political speech is unacceptable to the point of walking out of the game where it happens, well, thats chilling. Thats the kind of oppressive nonsense our ancestors were leaving when they crossed the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of years ago.

As an aside, how much taxpayer money did Pence waste to make this grandiose statement of political oppression, anyway? He traveled here with his usual contingent of aides and bodyguards, and he didnt fly standby on Delta. Chew on that for just a minute.

As another aside, what was Pence thinking, doing this on a day the Colts franchise thought he was in town to honor Peyton Manning and celebrate his induction into the Ring of Honor? As VP of the country, and as Indianas former governor, Pence has a standing invitation to come to a Colts game and watch it from a suite. A few weeks ago he accepted that offer. He claimed a suite just off mid-field.

More Doyel: Colts players explain why they are kneeling for national anthem

More Doyel: Once a team divided by anthem protest, Colts bond over T-shirts

The presence of the U.S. Vice President is a disruption, anywhere he goes. Colts fans were urged in an announcement by the team and by IMPD to come early to navigate the expected delays:

Public Safety is our number one priority. Due to Public Safety enhancements, the Indianapolis Colts, IMPD and Lucas Oil Stadium encourage fans to arrive early to Sundays 49ers vs Colts game. Kickoff is at 1 p.m., gates open at 11 a.m.

The Colts had no idea none that he would be leaving before kickoff. They were just the wall Pence was using to paint his political graffiti.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at http://www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel.

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Mike Pence leaving NFL game was using Colts for political ...

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a joint press conference with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos at the presidential guesthouse in Cartagena, Colombia. Fernando Vergara / AP

Three defense officials initially told NBC News that the service members were in Colombia in connection with Pence's trip to Latin America earlier this month, but a defense official later told NBC News the incident occurred in Panama.

A White House official told NBC News that Pence had not left the U.S. when the incident occurred. His staff became aware of the problem when they saw security camera video of the members of the detail bringing the women into the secure area, the officials said.

The service members who were senior members of the services, according to one of the officials were brought back to the United States and removed from the White House detail once the allegations surfaced.

"We are aware of the incident and it is currently under investigation," Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick S. Ryder. "We can confirm that the individuals in question have been reassigned back to the Army and Air Force."

There is no indication at this point that the women who were brought to the hotel were prostitutes, officials said.

In 2012, eight Secret Service agents doing advance work for a presidential trip to Colombia lost their jobs after allegations that some

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Military Members on Pence Detail Reassigned for Bringing Women to Hotel - NBCNews.com

When Donald Trump selected him as his running mate in July 2016, Mike Pence was seen largely as a way to ensure that social conservatives and evangelicals skeptical of Trump would turn out to vote for him. Like most vice presidential picks, Pence was meant to serve a specific but limited purpose. A red-state governor with strong ties to the most conservative elements of the Republican Party, and more than a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence could shore up Trumps lack of experience, and at least on paper, he looked like the perfect political counterweight to a flamethrowing outsider.

A little more than a year later, amid the backbiting, tumult, and controversy that have defined Trumps presidency, Pence remains exactly what he was brought in to bea rare pillar of calm, polished professionalism. Hes avoided West Wing knife fights, managing not to make enemies in a White House riven by rival factions and power struggles. Pence has also tactfully steered clear of making any significant slights or public contradictions of the president and wisely avoided whats perhaps the gravest sin in Trump Worldovershadowing the boss.

And yet a quiet tension looms over his role. As questions swirl about Trumps future and what may come after, attention has returned to Pence and his potential ambitions. News that he started his own leadership PAC in May raised eyebrows about whether Pence, 58, was actively preparing for life post-Trump or even considering a run in 2020 himself, something he vehemently denies but that Democrats are taking seriously. Still, as he becomes a stabilizing force inside an erratic White Houseif only by defaultthe question arises: Can he use that role to effect change inside it?

Evidence suggests Trump has come to realize Pences value as an asset to be deployed. Whether he sees him as someone worth listening to is another matter. Pence opened for Trump at an Aug. 22 rally in Phoenix, asserting the bosss commitment to racial harmony. Trump proceeded to trample that message in his ensuing speech. The two men do talk multiple times a day and have a scheduled lunch every week. Trumps chief of staff, U.S. Marine Corps General John Kelly, has also struck up a close relationship with Pence and talks with the vice presidents chief of staff, Nick Ayers, each morning and throughout the day.

Among senior officials in the West Wing, no one has the legislative and executive expertise of Pence, who spent four years as governor of Indiana after his 12 years in Congress. His staff is versed in state and national politics and has deep ties to Congress and the Republican Party. After the departure of Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer, both of whom spent years working for the Republican National Committee, those ties are crucial to a West Wing devoid of many Republican stalwarts.

Pence has earned a broad portfolio of domestic and foreign policy issues to oversee, including a big role in formulating the strategy for Afghanistan. This summer, hes led meetings with military and national security advisers, collecting and analyzing options, according to a person familiar with the planning process. In a two-hour meeting at Camp David on Aug. 18, rather than advocate for a particular position, Pence played the intermediary, making sure Trump got a complete picture of the scenarios, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Before the presidents Aug. 21 address on the U.S.s future involvement in Afghanistan, it was Pencenot Trumpwho talked to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the person says.

Pence has taken on a weighty foreign policy role, traveling to a dozen countries, where hes smoothed the rough edges of Trumps nationalist trade talk and volatile foreign policy declarations. During recent stops in Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Panama, he had to calm leaders over Trumps remarks that a military option was on the table for Venezuela and to reassure countries that the U.S. was still an eager trading partner. As tensions escalated with North Korea, it was Pence, clad in a leather bomber jacket, who scowled across the 38th parallel in April.

Perhaps Pences biggest asset is his relationship with congressional Republicans. He has lunch with GOP senators almost every Tuesday when Congress is in session, something his predecessors rarely kept up. Hes also made the rare move of opening an office on the House side of the Hill and spends much of his time at the U.S. Capitol. During the tensest moments of the health-care debate, some House aides said they preferred dealing with Pence and his staff, ignoring calls from Priebus, says a senior aide to Republican leadership. Pence is close with House Speaker Paul Ryan and often informs him on White House policy decisions. It helps that Trumps legislative affairs director, Marc Short, is a former Pence operative.

No one is more influential in the Capitol than Mike Pence, says North Carolina Representative Mark Walker, chairman of the conservative 170-member Republican Study Committee. Pence is one of the few people who can bridge the different political groups in the House. The vice president was crucial in getting the Obamacare repeal through the House, though when it came to getting it through the Senate, he was less effective. His last-minute entreaties to Arizona Republican Senator John McCain failed.

As relations between Trump and Republican leaders in Congress have soured, particularly with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Pence will likely have to play the role of mediator. McConnell credits Pence for his active role on the Hill and calls him an indispensable player for the White House. His influence also gives him a greater ability to push his own agenda of entitlement cuts and ending funding for Planned Parenthood. Neil Bradley, a former top GOP House staffer and advocate at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says Pence will be absolutely critical to getting a tax bill passed this fall.

Pence is also expected to be a surrogate for Trump in the 2018 midterm elections, particularly in conservative areas of the country where his endorsement may carry more weight than Trumps. With the West Wing a revolving door of staffers quitting or being dismissed, Pence has job security. As vice president, hes the one White House official whom Trump cant fire.

BOTTOM LINE - Pence has avoided the political backstabbing in the West Wing and does parts of the job Trump wont. Can he help get the president back on track?

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Mike Pence Is More Important Than Ever for Trump - Bloomberg