前副总统迈克·彭斯周三表示，他正在考虑在联邦法官判决后如何继续统治一天前，他必须在调查时任总统所做努力的大陪审团面前作证唐纳德·特朗普推翻2020年选举。
彭斯，谁是考虑跑步对于2024年共和党总统候选人提名，他说他不确定他是否会对披露他与特朗普谈话的更多细节的命令提起上诉，同时发誓他对1月6日周围的事件“没有什么可隐瞒的”。
“我对大陪审团程序的看法有限，但我很高兴法官认识到宪法言论和保护条款适用于我作为副总统的工作，”彭斯在爱荷华州说。“我将于1月6日就任参议院议长。我们目前正在与我们的法律顾问讨论这一决定的平衡，并确定前进的方向，但我没有什么可隐瞒的。”
“再次，我很高兴联邦法官承认宪法保护适用于我作为副总统，但现在我们将评估最佳前进方式，并在几天内让我们的意图众所周知，”他补充说。
彭斯告诉记者，他将在本周晚些时候与他在华盛顿特区的律师会面时讨论是否对裁决提出上诉。
2023年3月16日，前副总统迈克·彭斯在新罕布什尔州基恩的共和党筹款晚宴上发表讲话后面对记者
史蒂文·塞恩/美联社，文件
“还是那句话，我没什么好隐瞒的。我相信我们在1月6日履行了宪法赋予我们的职责。我真的相信维护宪法中的言论和辩论条款是非常重要的，”他重复道。“我很高兴联邦法官认可并同意我们的论点，即该条款确实适用于我们审查他如何解决这一问题，但最终，我们将遵守法律。现在，我们正在评估前进的正确方向。”
知情人士告诉美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)，周二，华盛顿特区首席法官詹姆斯·博斯伯格(James Boasberg)驳回了特朗普要求行政特权阻止彭斯作证的主张。
法官还发布了一项裁决，勉强支持彭斯的律师提出的另一项法律挑战的部分内容，他们认为这位前副总统应该免于提供记录或回答与他作为参议院主席的职责相符的某些问题，参议院主席负责监督2021年1月6日选举的正式认证。
据消息人士透露，法官命令彭斯就任何涉及特朗普非法行为的问题向特别顾问杰克·史密斯提供答案。
彭斯的团队认为，这种通信可能会与宪法的言论和辩论条款相冲突，该条款保护国会议员免受与其工作具体相关的法律诉讼。
裁决是在他和彭斯的律师出现在地方法院就他们对史密斯传票的质疑进行辩论后四天做出的。
彭斯此前曾发誓，如有必要，将一路打到最高法院，最近他告诉美国广播公司驻华盛顿首席记者乔纳森·卡尔，“我们将尊重法院的决定，这可能会把我们带到这个国家的最高法院。”
Pence says 'nothing to hide' from grand jury in Trump Jan. 6 probe
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he's weighing how to proceed after a federal judgeruledone day earlier he must testify before a grand jury investigating efforts by then-PresidentDonald Trumpto overturn the 2020election.
Pence, who isconsidering runningfor the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said he's unsure whether he'll appeal the order to reveal more details about his conversations with Trump while vowing he has "nothing to hide" about events surrounding Jan. 6.
"I'm limited in what I can say about grand jury proceedings, but I am pleased that the judge recognized that the Constitution speech and protection clause applies to my work as vice president," Pence said in Iowa. "I'm serving as president of the Senate on January 6. We're currently talking to our counsel about the balance of that decision and determining the way forward, but I have nothing to hide."
"Again, I'm pleased that federal judge recognizes that constitutional protection applies to me as vice president, but now we'll evaluate the best way forward and make our intentions known in the days," he added.
Pence told reporters he will discuss whether to appeal the ruling when he meets with his attorneys in Washington, D.C., later this week.
"Again, I have nothing to hide. I believe we did our duty under the Constitution on Jan. 6. And I truly do believe that preserving the constitutional protections enshrined in the speech and debate clause was very important," he repeated. "I'm pleased that the federal judge recognized and agreed with our argument that that provision does apply to us reviewing how he sorted that out, but at the end of the day, we'll obey the law. Right now, we're evaluating what the proper course is moving forward."
On Tuesday, D.C. Chief Judge James Boasberg rejected Trump's claim of executive privilege to prevent Pence from testifying, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The judge also issued a ruling that narrowly upheld parts of a separate legal challenge brought by Pence's attorneys, who have argued the former vice president should be exempt from providing records or answering certain questions that align with his duties as president of the Senate overseeing the formal certification of the election on Jan. 6, 2021.
The judge ordered Pence to provide answers to special counsel Jack Smith on any questions that implicate any illegal acts on Trump's part, according to sources.
Pence's team had argued that such communications could run afoul of the Constitution's speech and debate clause that shields members of Congress from legal proceedings specifically related to their work.
The rulings came just four days after his and Pence's lawyers appeared at the district court to argue their challenge to Smith's subpoena.
Pence has previously vowed to fight the subpoena all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, most recently telling ABC Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, "We're going to respect the decisions of the court, and that may take us to the highest court in the land."
