Washington DC - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas put a temporary hold on a federal appeals court order to have Senator Lindsey Graham testify in a 2020 election probe.

Last week, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit based in Atlanta ordered Graham to testify before a Fulton County grand jury, which is investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

On Friday, Graham requested that the Supreme Court intervene in the case, and on Monday, Justice Thomas heeded the call and put a temporary hold on the order.

Graham has been persistently fighting the subpoena, arguing that his actions during and after the election are protected under the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution, which gives Congress members legal protection while doing their jobs.

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading the probe, wants to question Graham about phone calls he made with Georgia officials around that time.

Thomas is responsible for handling emergency requests that come from Atlanta's 11th Circuit court. He can choose to handle the request alone, or hand it over to the full team of nine justices to review the case.

Graham was scheduled to appear before the grand jury on November 17, but that has now been pushed back.