Judge Rejects Trump’s Claims of Executive Privilege, Orders Former Aides to Testify in Election Investigation

A federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s claims of executive privilege and ordered several of his former aides to testify before a grand jury as part of a criminal investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

According to reports from ABC News and CNN, the judge’s ruling came in response to subpoenas issued by special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s legal team had attempted to use executive privilege to protect his former aides from testifying and providing documents to Smith.

The aides ordered to testify include former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. It is unclear who the other aides are, or what documents they are being asked to provide.

The criminal investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the election is ongoing, and the judge’s ruling is seen as a major setback for the former president. It is unclear what the implications of the ruling will be, or how it will affect the investigation.

The ruling is the latest development in the ongoing investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn the election. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the investigation will be, and whether any charges will be brought against Trump or his former aides.