US court rejects Trump’s attempt to block Pence’s testimony on Capitol attack

Washington, Apr 26 (EFE).- A US court ruled Wednesday that former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) cannot prevent his former vice president, Mike Pence, from testifying before the grand jury investigating the role of the ex-president in the assault on the Capitol on Jan.6, 2021.

The decision comes after Trump tried to block Pence’s testimony by claiming that the events of that day were protected by “executive privilege,” the right of presidents to maintain confidential communications.

Initially, Pence himself had filed a motion to prevent his testimony before the grand jury probing the assault on the Capitol, but he agreed after a federal judge in Washington ruled that any possible illegal acts by Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 were not protected by lawmakers’ right to confidentiality.

The Jan. 6 grand jury investigation into the attack on the Capitol is just one of the legal problems of the former conservative president, who was indicted in March by a Manhattan grand jury on charges related to making hush payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

In addition, the Fulton County district attorney’s office in Georgia is investigating whether Trump illegally meddled in the 2020 presidential election in the state, while another federal grand jury, in the US capital, Washington, is looking into the case of the classified documents found at his Florida residence.

In November, Trump announced that he will run for the Republican nomination for the 2024 elections, while Mike Pence is also expected to launch a presidential bid soon. EFE

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