The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has issued an administrative stay of a lower court’s ruling ordering former White House counsel Donald McGahn to appear before Congress.

In its order Wednesday night, the appeals court says it will consider issuing a longer stay and set oral arguments for a hearing Jan. 3.

U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson had ruled Monday that McGahn would have to appear before Congress in response to a subpoena, rejecting the Trump administration’s argument that “absolute immunity” shielded top aides from congressional questioning.

In an order earlier Wednesday, Jackson temporarily delayed the effect of her own ruling, which the Justice Department had appealed.

The House Judiciary Committee sought McGahn’s testimony about efforts by Trump to obstruct the investigation into Russian election interference.

(AP)