Former Vice President Mike Pence was subpoenaed to appear before a special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump.

Pence was subpoenaed along with former National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien by special counsel Jack Smith.

Pence subpoenaed by special counsel overseeing Trump investigations https://t.co/TuMRo0aML3

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 10, 2023

The motives

"The special counsel began conducting interviews with key witnesses and handing out subpoenas shortly after his appointment in November, intensifying the investigation. Pence is the highest-profile figure in the Trump administration to be subpoenaed yet, suggesting the investigation is entering its later stages," the Washington Examiner reported.

"ABC News reported that the subpoena came after months of talks between Smith's and Pence's legal teams. It was not immediately made available what information is sought from Pence," it added.

BREAKING: Former Vice President Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel overseeing Trump investigations https://t.co/60Zxbcwvl1

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 10, 2023

The latest

It is unclear whether Pence will testify or if he will claim executive privilege in the matters related to the subpoena.

"Trump said last year that he 'won’t partake' in the investigation against him, calling it 'the worst politicization of justice in our country,'" according to Fox News.

"I have been going through this for six years — for six years I have been going through this, and I am not going to go through it anymore," Trump told Fox News on Friday. "And I hope the Republicans have the courage to fight this."

Former VP Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel overseeing Trump probes, in what could signal a major escalation in the inquiry https://t.co/OdzVF4Os2H

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 10, 2023

USA Today also noted that the situation could impact the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

"Pence's injection into the inquiry, while not unexpected, would potentially pit two prospective frontrunners for the Republican nomination in 2024 against each other in a criminal investigation," the outlet reported.

"While Trump has launched a bid to re-take the White House, Pence has not formally made his announcement," it continued.

Pence's latest legal hurdle is in addition to a small number of classified files found in his Indiana home that were discovered during a search conducted after President Joe Biden's secret documents were revealed at the Penn Biden Center and in his Delaware home. The issues could loom large if Pence chooses to run for the White House in 2024, generating new controversy over Trump's former vice president.