Mark Meadows must testify in Georgia election probe, S.C. Supreme Court rules

The South Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling ordering former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to testify before a Georgia grand jury investigating efforts to overturn 2020 election results.

Why it matters: Meadows, a close ally to former President Trump, could be a key witness in the investigation. He and other Trump allies sought to avoid testifying after the grand jury issued subpoenas.

• Meadows, who currently lives in South Carolina, had argued that he cannot be compelled to testify, claiming the special grand jury is not a criminal probe.

What they're saying: "We have reviewed the arguments raised by Appellant and find them to be manifestly without merit," South Carolina’s Supreme Court justices wrote.

Don't forget: Meadows was on the line during a January 2021 phone call when Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes."

• A top aide to Meadows also testified to the Jan. 6 committee earlier this year that he warned Jan. 6 "might get real, real bad" in the days prior, suggesting he was aware of the risk of violence.

The big picture: Giuliani appeared before the grand jury in August after an unsuccessful attempt to avoid giving testimony.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also testified last week after a failed legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately rejected his bid to block the grand jury's subpoena.

Go deeper: Meadows sought pardon after Jan. 6, his former top aide testifies

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.