Mike Pence testifies before Jan. 6 grand jury

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday spent more than five hours testifying before the federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Associated Press.

In February, Pence received a subpoena from special counsel Jack Smith for his testimony and documents related to the Jan. 6 investigation. In the weeks before the Capitol attack, Trump attempted to pressure Pence into using his role as president of the Senate to block the certification of the Electoral College results; Pence refused. Attorneys for Pence and Trump challenged the subpoena, and Pence had a partial victory when the chief judge overseeing the grand jury ruled he did not have to answer any questions about his role as president of the Senate on Jan. 6.

Trump's lawyers claimed his discussions with Pence were all protected by executive privilege, and on Wednesday night, an appeals court rejected Trump's emergency attempt to postpone Pence's testimony.

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Pence is the most high-profile Trump administration official to appear before the grand jury. Other former officials who have testified include ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller.