Jan. 6 committee says Meadows knew about threat of violence ahead of riot

Source: The Hill | April 22, 2022 | Rebecca Beitsch

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol asked a federal judge on Friday to enforce its subpoena of Mark Meadows, revealing new evidence that the former White House chief of staff had been warned of potential violence ahead of the riot.

Meadows has provided some documents to the committee, including text messages from a wide range of Republicans and even Fox News hosts that have since been made public in other actions taken and subpoenas filed by the committee.

But the latest filing asks the courts to reject the former White House chief of staff’s legal challenges to the panel’s authority, outlining seven areas of inquiry where the committee argues Meadows could provide information despite his claims of executive privilege.

The court filing portrays Meadows as a key figure in former President Trump’s efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. The document states that Meadows was involved in these efforts at both the state and national level – plans he continued with despite receiving intelligence there could be violence on Jan. 6.

The exhibits included in the filing also provide new details about the extent Republican lawmakers were involved in former President Trump’s efforts to stay in power.

Those revelations came from testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former special assistant to the president and Meadows.

“We had intel reports saying that there could potentially be violence on the 6th,” Hutchinson told the panel.

“And Mr. Meadows said: ‘All right. Let’s talk about it.’”

Hutchinson also laid out a wide array of GOP lawmakers who participated in meetings with Trump campaign lawyers alongside Meadows.

That group includes GOP Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio), Mo Brooks (Ala.) Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Scott Perry (Pa.) Jody Hice (Ga.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.) and Debbie Lesko (Ariz.).

“They felt that he had the authority to — pardon me if my phrasing isn’t correct on this, but — send votes back to the States or the electors back to the States, more along the lines of the Eastman theory,” Hutchinson said, referring to John Eastman, who crafted two memos for the Trump campaign outlining how to challenge the election.

“I don’t recall anybody speaking out and definitively expressing disagreement with that theory,” she said of the lawmakers, adding that “the vice president’s team appeared slightly skeptical.” 

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The committee also says testimony with numerous White House staff indicates Meadows continued with efforts to keep Trump in power despite indications from White House counsel that such plans were illegal.

“The Select Committee now has testimony from other White House staff that Mr. Meadows and certain congressmen were advised by White House Counsel that efforts to generate false certificates did not comply with the law,” the committee states.

According to Hutchinson, that issue was raised by White House lawyers as early as mid-December, agreeing counsel had advised the plan was “not legally sound.”

“Certain text communications with Members of Congress suggest that Mr. Meadows himself ‘pushed’ for Vice President Pence to take unilateral action to reject the counting of electoral votes on Jan. 6th,” the committee said in its filing.

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