US media reports that the decision could force Mike Pence to talk about Donald Trump’s actions after the 2020 election.
A US federal judge ordered the former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before a grand jury, as the Justice Department continues its investigation into whether the former President Donald Trump tried to undo his loss in the presidential election 2020.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s decision remains sealed.
But major US media outlets, including Reuters and the Associated Press, reported that the ruling will force Pence to appear in court and talk about conversations he may have had with Trump as 2021 approaches. attack on the United States Capitol.
This attack, January 6saw thousands of Trump supporters storming the headquarters of Congress to disrupt the certification of the election results. The flood of rioters caused politicians to flee for their safety and left police officers and attendees injured or dead.
Pence, who was on Capitol Hill at the time, will not be required to speak about his actions That day. As vice-president at the time, he played a ceremonial roleoverseeing the certification of elections.
However, he will likely be asked to identify any illegal acts that may have been committed by his former boss, then President Trump.
Such a scenario is unprecedented in American politics and the legal teams of Trump and Pence. objected in view of the testimony of the former vice-president.
The Associated Press reports that Pence’s attorneys are weighing whether to appeal Tuesday’s decision.
His legal team has previously argued that Pence is protected against grand jury subpoenas under the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which protects members of Congress from legal action for anything said during legislative business.
Speaking on the right-wing news channel Newsmax on Tuesday, Pence said the judge’s ruling would limit what he could testify about, out of respect for the “speak and debate clause”.
“I’m glad the court accepted our argument and recognized that the Constitution’s speaking and debating provision applies to the vice president,” he said.
“But how they settled this and the requirements for my testimony going forward is the subject of our review right now, and I’ll have more to say about that in the days to come.”
Penny has previously denounced Trump for his actions in preparing for the attack on the Capitol.
“His reckless words endangered my family and everyone on Capitol Hill that day. And I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable,” he said at the Gridiron dinner in Washington, DC, earlier this month.
A spokesperson for Trump’s team reacted to Tuesday’s decision by reiterating claims that the Justice Department’s investigations of the former president were politically motivated.
“The DOJ continually deviates from standard norms in attempting to destroy the long-accepted, constitutionally based constitutional standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege,” the statement said.
In November, the Ministry of Justice appointed a special adviser, Jack Smithleading two investigations into Trump: one into the former president’s handling of classified documents and the other into the attempted overthrow of Trump Election victory for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
But Trump also faces many legal setbacks somewhere else. He faces a separate election-related investigation in Georgia, and last week he sparked rumors of imminent arrest in a New York case involving an alleged silent payment to a porn star.
Trump has already announced he will run for a second presidential term in 2024, but there has been speculation that Pence could run against him for the Republican nomination.
