(Washington) Former Vice President Mike Pence will not appeal a judge’s ruling that compels him to testify as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into moves to overturn the result of the 2020 US presidential election.
The decision, announced Wednesday by a spokesperson for Mr. Pence, paves the way for a possible appearance by the former vice president before a federal grand jury in the coming weeks.
Mr Pence had been subpoenaed months ago by the special prosecutor investigating attempts by ex-President Donald Trump and members of his inner circle to overturn presidential election results before the assault against the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Mr Trump’s lawyers had opposed Mr Pence’s subpoena, citing “executive privilege”. But a federal judge in Washington last week dismissed those arguments and forced the ex-vice president to testify before a grand jury.
District Court Judge James Boasberg gave Mr. Pence a small victory, however, accepting arguments from his lawyers that on constitutional grounds he could not be questioned about his actions on January 6, 2021.