A federal appeals court has denied former President Donald Trump's emergency motion to block former Vice President Mike Pence from testifying before a grand jury investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. The ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit clears the way for Pence to speak under oath about his conversations with Trump regarding the certification of the 2020 election results.
The unanimous decision is expected to bring about Pence's testimony quickly, according to Katelyn Polantz, a legal correspondent at CNN. Previously, Pence had resisted efforts to testify in the ongoing investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith, citing constitutional privileges protecting his communications on that day.
However, after a federal judge ordered him to comply with Smith's subpoena, Pence agreed to cooperate with investigators.
"The Speech and Debate Clause does not provide blanket immunity for Mr. Pence," said Judge Jonathan Hudson of DC District Court during a hearing last month. "It is essential that he comes forward and shares what he knows about those events."
Following today's ruling, it remains unclear whether Trump will appeal this decision further or let it stand unchallenged.
In response to Wednesday's order, Dan Burton – spokesperson for Mike Pence – stated: "Vice President Pence has always maintained that he will respect and abide by any lawful judicial orders."
Legal experts have noted that other individuals within Trump's circle have also testified after losing similar battles in court; however, it is still uncertain how much new information would be revealed through these testimonies due their privileged nature.
This latest development follows months-long attempts by Trump and his lawyers seeking ways around subpoenas issued as part of multiple investigations related to both himself and his administration.