An arrest for twice-impeached former president Donald Trump is becoming more and more probable. A Manhattan grand jury just voted in favor of indicting Trump, 76, as reported by the New York Times on Thursday, March 30th.
An announcement regarding the indictment will likely come from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg “in the next few days,” Popsugar notes, after which Trump will be “expected to surrender.” As CNN points out, Trump is will probably “appear in court on Tuesday, April 4th.
This is a big deal: neither privilege nor the Speech or Debate Clause fully exempt former VP Mike Pence from testifying about January 6th; he must testify to a grand jury about the conversations he had with Donald Trump in the lead-up to the insurrection.https://t.co/7Wjcv9pWZw
— Noah Bookbinder (@NoahBookbinder) March 29, 2023
In other related news, Trump’s former running mate and Vice President, Mike Pence, reportedly can’t get out of testifying before a grand jury about the infamous January 6, 2021 insurrection (even after trying to and failing). Since some of his conditions in the case were met, according to SheKnows, his testimony will center solely around Trump.
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What We Know About Mike Pence Testifying Before Grand Jury In Justice Department's Investigation
Two sources revealed to the Associated Press that Pence will only "have to testify before a grand jury in the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election." This means that he is excluded from having to discuss his own actions on that day. Instead, he will only speak about Trump’s "potential illegal acts."
Pence has been fighting the grand jury subpoena with his legal team, so he might find this to be relieving. Since the politician was, at the time, serving "president of the Senate that day," the main argument was that Pence "was protected from being forced to testify under the Constitution’s ‘speech or debate’ clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from questioning about official legislative acts." Trump’s lawyers, as Popsugar notes, also "aren’t pleased that Pence has to testify either."
The former president’s lawyers are asserting that Pence’s case falls under "executive privilege." They are stressing that he shouldn’t have to answer the Justice Department’s questions. Ultimately, they likely wouldn't want anyone to truly reveal what actually occurred in the Oval Office on January 6, as they maintain that Trump is innocent.
"There is no factual or legal basis or substance to any case against President Trump," a representative for the former president told the AP. Regarding Pence, his legal team is reviewing his options following a federal judge's ruling. Pence will soon decide whether to appeal in the near future or dish what he knows about Trump (who he is rumored to be feuding with, as well).
