Trump tries to stop Mike Pence testifying over Jan 6 riots with appeal against judge’s order

Former vice president has been ordered to testify about his interactions with Trump before Jan 6 unrest

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Former president Donald Trump is appealing a decision from a court that would require former vice president Mike Pence to appear before a grand jury investigating the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election, Bloomberg News reported.

Late last month, a court in Washington ordered Mr Pence to testify before a grand jury assembled by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith about his interactions with Mr Trump before the January 6 riot. The judge in the case rejected Mr Trump’s attempt to invoke executive privilege.

A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News that Mr Trump appealed the decision with the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

US District Chief Judge James Boasberg had separately ruled on a claim Mr Pence made invoking executive privilege. Mr Pence’s team said he would not appeal the decision.

Mr Pence’s team said the judge’s ruling “affirmed for the first time in history that the Speech or Debate Clause extends to the vice president of the United States.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Mr Smith’s appointment to serve as special counsel last year to investigate Mr Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election results, including his actions on January 6, as well as his handling of classified documents from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago home.

The investigation is just one of four probes the former president faces. Last week, Mr Trump was formally arrested and arraigned on 34 charges related to his payments of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, which he has vehemently denied. The twice-impeached Mr Trump is the first former president to be indicted.

In addition, the Fulton County District Attorney has been investigating the former president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential elections in Georgia.

The former president has maintained his innocence throughout all of these cases and has said it will not deter him from seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024 in a rematch against President Joe Biden.