A federal judge has ordered former aides to former President Donald Trump, including his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, to testify before a grand jury in Washington, D.C. Investigating Trump’s efforts to reverse the damage. , NBC News reported on Friday.
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In a sealed order, US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled against Trump’s bid to block his aides from speaking to the grand jury on the grounds of executive privilege, people familiar with the matter told NBC. Executive privilege is the legal principle that allows certain executive-branch communications to be kept secret.
NBC sources said other aides affected by the ruling included former White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, former senior aide Stephen Miller, former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, former deputy homeland security Secretary Kane is involved. Cuccinelli, former aide Nick Luna and former White House Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel John McEntee.
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According to NBC, Trump is expected to appeal the decision, which was filed in secret because it involves grand jury cases.
Howell ruled last week ABC NewsWho first reported the sealed order.
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Meadows and other collaborators were Allegedly The subpoenas were sent earlier this year by Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by the Justice Department to oversee two criminal investigations related to Trump, including the January 6-focused investigation.
Smith is leading an investigation into classified documents sent to Trump’s private residence in Florida, as well as possible obstruction of that investigation.
The development in the special counsel’s case came as Trump railed against the Manhattan district attorney, whose separate investigation into the former president recently appeared to enter its final stages. Trump incorrectly predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday on charges stemming from the investigation, which focuses on a 2016 payment of money to a porn star who alleged she had an affair with Trump.
Trump also faces a legal threat in Georgia, where a Fulton County grand jury is investigating efforts by him and his associates to interfere in the 2020 election in that state. Trump narrowly lost to President Joe Biden in that contest.
Days before Congress convened to confirm Biden’s overall presidential victory, Trump telephoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and urged him to “find” enough votes to overturn the result.
Meadows was on that call, and was close to Trump, on January 6, 2021, when a violent mob of supporters of the then-president stormed the US Capitol and temporarily halted the peaceful transfer of power.
