Judge reportedly orders Meadows, other top Trump White aide to testify in special counsel J6 probe

A federal judge on Friday reportedly rejected former President Trump's claims of executive privilege and has ordered former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and other top aides to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The judge's decision is being reported by ABC News based on multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed Meadows and the other former aides for testimony and documents related to the probe.

The legal team for those subpoenaed tried to challenge the order by asserting executive privilege, the right of a president to keep confidential the communications he has with advisers.

In a sealed order last week, Judge Beryl Howell rejected Trump's claim of executive privilege for Meadows and others including Trump's former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, former top aide Stephen Miller, and former deputy chief of staff and social media director Dan Scavino, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Trump is likely to appeal the ruling.

"The DOJ is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, Constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege," a Trump spokesperson said.

None of those reportedly subpoenaed responded to a request for comment.