Former vice president Mike Pence must testify to a grand jury about conversations he had with Donald Trump leading up to January 6, 2021, a judge ruled.
A source familiar with the sealed ruling also told CNN that Pence can still decline to answer questions related to his actions on January 6 itself. The vice president was serving in a legislative capacity as president of the Senate on that day. When Pence challenged the subpoena of Jack Smith last month, he attempted to exert legislative privilege based on the Constitution’s "speech or debate clause."
The ruling comes as former president Donald Trump accrues loss after loss in his attempts to shield those around him from testifying on the separate grounds of executive privilege. Trump attempted to exert the privilege on Pence’s behalf. He also attempted to exert it on behalf of ex-advisors like Mark Meadows, John Ratcliffe, and Robert O'Brien. It came to light last week that they too would be forced to testify.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November to oversee the investigation into the alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Pence still has the ability to appeal.
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