Judge Orders Pence To Testify In Criminal Investigation Into Trump’s Efforts To Stay In Office: Report

According to recent reports, a federal judge has ordered former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before a grand jury as part of a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to remain in office after losing the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors had been looking for Pence’s testimony, which centers around Trump’s demands that he stop the electoral vote count. Trump’s lawyers initially attempted to limit Pence’s testimony by invoking executive privilege, while Pence’s lawyers claimed he was protected under the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause. Pence’s aides have detailed the pressure that he was under from the former president, which was compounded by Trump’s public tweets calling on Pence to act.

The ruling is the latest legal setback for Trump, as a federal appeals court recently compelled one of his attorneys to testify and turn over records relating to a separate criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of government records after leaving office.