Pence’s decision to drop the appeal means he will testify under oath about Trump’s attempts to pressure him, and could be a key witness. Trump and his team can still appeal the ruling, but they have lost similar cases before.
A date for his testimony has not been decided, though a consultant said it could be later this month.
The decision comes ahead of an expected bid by Pence to challenge Trump as he is aggressively pursuing the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Pence’s testimony could add to Trump’s mounting legal exposure as the nomination process unfolds.
Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley said in a statement, Jan. 6, 2021, Pence felt vindicated by part of the judge’s ruling that he can remain silent on topics that specifically deal with his role in Congress when the official schedule for the presidential election is released. The election results were tampered with by pro-Trump mobs.
“The court’s landmark and historic ruling confirmed that for the first time in history, the speech or debate clause extends to the vice president of the United States,” O’Malley said. “Proving constitutional principle, Vice President Pence will not appeal the judge’s ruling and will comply with the subpoena as required by law.”
Many of Pence’s advisers, including his chief of staff and chief counsel, have already testified to investigators probing the attack, and many of his experiences are already known. But Pence can at least provide a first-hand account of one-on-one conversations with Trump.
Special counsel Jack Smith testified for Pence in the long-running investigation into whether efforts to block or undo Joe Biden’s 2020 victory constituted federal crimes, and Pence and Trump have contested the claim on separate legal grounds.
U.S. District Judge James Bosberg ruled last week that Pence must testify for prosecutors investigating Trump’s efforts to alter the election results, The Washington Post reported. made public. However, Boasberg also ruled that Pence could remain silent about his role in Congress.
Trump argued that this is executive privilege, which is shielded From the revelations of some presidential discussions, Pence banned from appearing; Pence’s lawyers said constitutional protections against forcing lawmakers to provide evidence prevented Pence. He presided over the Senate on January 6 — From testifying.
Trump faces legal scrutiny as he tries to reclaim the White House.
On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 investigation into payments to former adult film actress Stormi Daniels. This makes him the first former president to be charged with a crime.
The Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation into the handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. The Fulton County, Ga., district attorney is leading a parallel criminal investigation related to the 2020 election, and the New York attorney general is suing Trump, his three children and his family business for alleged violations.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Coffee maven. Professional food trailblazer. Twitter buff.”