The special counsel scrutinizing the former president’s handling of classified documents issued a subpoena to the Trump Organization seeking records related to seven countries.
The subpoena of Mark Pomerantz, who led the New York investigation into Donald Trump’s finances before resigning in protest, was an escalation of Republican efforts to protect the former president.
The former vice president is said to be planning to invoke the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, saying his role as president of the Senate should insulate him from grand jury questions.
The move by Jack Smith, the special counsel, is one of the most aggressive in his investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to stay in power and is likely to lead to a battle over executive privilege.