Chief Justice John Roberts on Sunday reportedly hit pause on Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to compel a mystery company – one owned by a foreign government – to turn over information to investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.

The hold is temporary: It freezes a contempt order issued by a federal court in the District of Columbia after the unidentified company refused to comply with a grand jury subpoena. The subpoena sought "information" about the company's commercial activity in a criminal investigation.

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a brief ruling, said that there was "reasonable probability" that the records requested by the subpoena involve actions that occurred outside of the U.S. but directly affected the country. It offered few other details.

The government has until Dec. 31 to respond to the pause. Then it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether it wants to further intervene in the case.

Much about the Mueller's investigations remains secret. However, the order by the chief justice appears to be the first time a legal challenge to the probes has reached the Supreme Court.