(UnitedVoice.com) – Former Vice President Mike Pence had a falling out with President Donald Trump at the end of their term in office. The two men were at odds over Pence’s decision to certify the 2020 election. Now, a court has decided Trump’s former right-hand man has to testify.
On March 27, sources to multiple media outlets stated that Judge James E. Boasberg issued a sealed ruling that allegedly said Pence must appear before a grand jury and testify about his conversations with Trump leading up to January 6. The ruling was connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s reported investigation into the former president’s actions after the general election in 2020. The New York Times reported the judge gave the former vice president a small victory by allowing him to refuse to answer questions about what he did on January 6 when he was certifying the vote count.
Media: "A federal judge has ordered @Mike_Pence to appear before a grand jury investigating #DonaldTrump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, largely sweeping aside two separate legal efforts … to limit his testimony." @alanfeuer @maggieNYT https://t.co/0g2BEVVmJP pic.twitter.com/CDahQA4zRg
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) March 28, 2023
According to the report, prosecutors want Pence to testify about what the former president wanted him to do (if anything) on January 6 when he was overseeing the Electoral College votes. Trump’s lawyers have tried to prevent the former VP from testifying, saying he’s protected by executive privilege. Pence’s attorneys also argued that he should not have to go before the grand jury because they say the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause protects him.
Another judge has also ruled former Trump administration officials, including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, could not avoid testifying before the grand jury by invoking executive privilege. In the Pence ruling, Boasberg reportedly said the former VP would have to talk to the grand jury about any crimes the former president potentially committed in relation to the January 6 riots.
The January 6 Committee accused Trump of repeatedly pressuring Pence to use his position as president of the Senate to overturn the results of the 2020 election and refuse to certify the win. The former president has publicly stated that’s what he thinks his vice president should have done.
It’s unclear when Pence might testify. Grand jury proceedings are secret.
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