Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the case.

The person asked for anonymity to discuss the private

auditory appearance

for the grand jury.

Pence’s appearance

before a grand jury

in Washington, scrutinizing the president

loyal

served is a milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation. It could be

and probably

to give

S

prosecutors provided an important first-person account of certain conversations and events in the weeks leading up to the deadly January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. It also has significant political implications, as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a possible run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court rejected a bid by Trump’s lawyers to block Pence’s appearance in a sealed injunction.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump’s lawyers objected, citing concerns about executive privileges. A judge in March declined to block Pence’s action but backed the former vice president’s constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as president of the certification of votes in the Senate.

on

6 January

Do obey the law. Tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation that aired Sunday. And the story I’ve told the American people across the country, the story I’ve written in the pages of my memoir, that will be the story I tell in that setting.

Pence has spoken at length about Trump’s press campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book.

,

So help me God.

Pence, as vice president,

The vice president had a ceremonial role, overseeing Congress’ count of the

e

lecturer

C

empty vote, but had no power to influence the results, despite Trump’s claim.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was in the Capitol on January 6 and that history will hold him accountable.

We had a close working relationship for four years. It didn’t end well, Pence wrote

listing their time in the White House

.

His lawyers

for pennies

had increased

their own, more

narrow

He

contesting the summons. They argued that because Pence served in his capacity as President of the Senate while the electoral votes were counted in Congress on January 6, he was protected from being compelled to testify about that trial under the speech or debate clause of the Constitution, which meant is to protect members of Congress from questioning about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively limiting the scope of his expected testimony.

Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a wide net in interviews, seeking the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House attorney Pat Cipollone and former advisers.

O

rStephen Miller.

Separately, Smith is investigating Trump over possible mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago estate, as well as possible attempts to obstruct that investigation. Trump’s lawyers on Wednesday

in that investigation, the Justice Department called the investigation seriously botched and politically tainted

urged the House Intelligence Committee to intervene by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct procedures for handling classified documents in the White House and to standardize procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave their office.

DOJ should be ordered to step down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate, the lawyers wrote.

It’s unclear when

one of both

the investigations of the special counsels will end or not

who, if

everyone

,

will be charged.