Mike Pence Testified About Trump in Federal Court

Voice of America - Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States, appeared before a grand jury in a federal court in Washington, D.C. He was summoned as part of the investigation into Trump's role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to the Associated Press, Pence attended the court session on Thursday despite Donald Trump's legal team attempting to block his appearance through an appeal, which the court rejected. Pence's presence in court is related to the January 6, 2021, attack and the subsequent investigations. Donald Trump, the sitting President at the time, never accepted the results of that election, and hours after his speech, a group of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, taking control for several hours. Following this incident, Congress and the U.S. judicial system initiated investigations. According to The Hill news site, Pence's appearance is part of the ongoing investigations led by Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the Trump case after the 2020 election. Trump had explicitly asked Pence not to certify Joe Biden's victory on January 6, 2021, in his capacity as Vice President and President of the Senate. The Hill and other U.S. media outlets did not provide many details about Pence's testimony on Thursday, noting that he was in court for several hours, testified, and then left. After being summoned to court, Pence initially opposed it, stating he had nothing to hide. His argument was that he was in Congress on January 6, 2021, and as part of the legislative branch, he should be exempt from testifying. However, after Jack Smith's insistence, a federal court ruled that Pence must appear in court. Nevertheless, Trump's legal team appealed this ruling in a higher court but was unable to change the court's decision.