Trump's Other Case May Have Taken A Nasty Turn: Court Denies Attempt To Block Testimony In Election Conspiracy Probe

Former President Donald Trump's legal woes continue to pile up as he faces multiple lawsuits and investigations.

What Happened: In a Tuesday development, a federal appeals court denied Trump's attempt to block former White House aides from testifying before a federal jury investigating efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.

This decision follows last month's rejection of Trump's executive privilege challenge to Special Counsel Jack Smith's efforts to question former top administration officials.

Though the proceedings are largely under wraps, Bloomberg reports that prosecutors are seeking testimony from former Trump officials, including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and former Homeland Security acting secretary Ken Cuccinelli.

Trump's lawyers were in court on Monday arguing for an order to maintain the status quo while the former president pursued the appeal.

Read also: Trump's Niece Says His 'False Bravado' Will Return, But He'll 'Never Be Able To Outrun' His Past

Why It Matters: The decision could spell trouble for Trump, as former officials may now testify about their involvement in efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election, potentially including their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

The fact that Judge Beryl Howell previously rejected Trump's executive privilege claims is significant, suggesting there may be incriminating evidence against the former president.

It's worth noting that the three-judge panel assigned to the case includes Judge Greg Katsas, one of Trump's nominees to the court, as well as two appointees under former President Barack Obama, Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins.

While Trump's lawyers can still appeal the decision to the full D.C. Circuit or petition the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, this latest development indicates the former president's legal troubles are far from over.

Read next: 'Criminal' Trump NFT Cards Cash In On Former President's Arrest

This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.