Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event to promote his new book at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on October 19, 2022 in Washington, DC.
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A federal judge ordered former Vice President Mike Pence to comply with a grand jury subpoena issued as part of a special counsel investigation of ex-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, NBC News reported Tuesday.
Pence had previously vowed to challenge special counsel Jack Smith’s subpoena, arguing that the vice president’s role as president of the Senate grants him constitutional protections against testifying about certain legislative activities.
Judge James Boasberg of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled that Pence does has some limited protections regarding his role on Jan. 6, 2021, NBC reported. The then-VP on that day presided over a joint session of Congress that had convened to confirm President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 election.
But Pence is not immune from testifying about alleged “illegality” by Trump, Boasberg reportedly ruled.
Smith is investigating whether Trump or his allies unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power on or before Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump’s supporters, spurred by false claims of widespread election fraud, stormed the U.S. Capitol.
A spokesman for Pence did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on NBC’s report, which cited a source familiar with the sealed ruling.
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Source link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/28/pence-ordered-to-testify-in-probe-of-trumps-efforts-to-overturn-2020-election.html