Meadows was warned January 6 could turn violent, says former White House official
WASHINGTON – A former White House official told House committee investigating Capitol riots that President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadowswas consulted about intelligence reports indicating the potential for violence, according to just released scoreboard.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a special aide in Trump’s White House, told the committee that “there were concerns that came before” Meadows before the Capitol storm hit on January 6, 2021, but it was unclear. What Meadows did with that information.
“I just remember Mr. Ornato coming in and saying we had intelligence that said there could be violence on the 6th,” Hutchinson said, presumably referencing Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official. “And Mr. Meadows said: ‘All right. Let’s talk about this.'”
Friday’s filing is the latest in a lengthy legal battle over the extent to which Meadows, whose proximity to Trump has made him a prime target of House Democrats, may force must cooperate with the commission’s investigation. Meadows sent thousands of text messages, but he refused to sit for an interview, arguing he didn’t need to testify under his White House position, and sued the committee.
The filing sought a court ruling in favor of the committee that Meadows had no valid basis for refusing to testify. It said the committee had refined the scope of its request to focus on seven specific topics, including testimony about communications with Congress before January 6, 2021; The White House plans to replace the head of the Justice Department so the department can pursue Trump’s bogus claims about election fraud; and efforts to create groups of alternative, or fake, state electors who could alter the outcome of the 2020 election vote that Democrat Joe Biden won.
The committee released excerpts from the testimony of many of the witnesses it interviewed, including Hutchinson. In addition to describing warnings of potential violence provided to Meadows, Hutchinson revealed how the White House counsel’s office forewarned plans to enlist fake electors in states, including in the United States. meeting attended by Meadows and Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani.
The filing also includes new text messages Meadows passed on, including some from House Republicans who pushed the former North Carolina congressman to take action. Meadows’ close friend, Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, suggested in a late statement on January 5, 2021 – the day before Congress certified Biden’s victory – that Vice President Mike Pence “should call” out all the electoral votes he believes in. is unconstitutional because there are no electoral votes. “
Meadows texted back in the early hours of January 6: “I pushed for this. Not sure it will happen. Pence ultimately resisted overwhelming pressure from Trump and his allies and made no attempt to contest Biden’s endorsement.
Representative Scott Perry, R-Pa., Texted Meadows as early as December 26, 2020: “Mark, just sign up as time continues to count down. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 more days to be inaugurated. We have to go! “
In documents released by the committee, Perry encouraged Meadows to speak with Jeffrey Clark, an assistant attorney general who sympathized with Trump’s bogus claims about election fraud. A week later, on January 3, Clark attended a White House meeting with Trump, where the prospect of raising Clark to the role of acting attorney general was discussed – but was staunchly opposed by Justice Department officials. , who threatened to resign, and the White House attorneys. Trump has finally backed down.
Hutchinson said Meadows spoke “regularly” with Clark, and Hutchinson recalled Clark’s presence at the White House and his “regular outreach and communication”.
In another interview released by the committee Friday, former Justice Department official Steven Engel, then head of the Office of Legal Counsel, said Clark had asked the department to provide comments. legal action for Pence about the vice president’s right to challenge the certification of the presidential election. Engel said he told Clark it was “absurd” and reminded him that Pence’s role was a ceremonial one as president of the Senate.
Testimony released Friday also reinforces how some Republicans in Congress were deeply involved in White House discussions about overturning the election in the months leading up to the deadly uprising.
For example, Hutchinson described several calls involving Meadows and members of the far-right House Freedom Conference in late November and early December in which participants discussed Pence’s role on January 6, in addition to the ceremonial role he was required to perform.
According to Hutchinson, on those calls were representatives from Trump’s legal team, including Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, as well as Jordan and Perry.
Meadows’ lawsuit asks a judge to void two subpoenas he received from the commission, accusing them of being “too broad and too burdensome.” The lawsuit alleges the commission overreacted by subpoenaing Verizon for his cell phone records.
After the lawsuit was filed, the House committee sent contempt of Congress against Meadows to the Full House, where it passed in a partisan vote. It is the first time the council has voted to decriminalize a former member since the 1830s.
While an earlier contempt referral against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon resulted in an indictment, the Justice Department was slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows.
Any criminal case against Meadows would be more complicated than the case against Bannon, in part because Meadows is the White House chief of staff and because he has begun cooperating with the committee, even providing documents to the committee. nine-member board.
Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, previously defended his client by noting that given Meadows’ willingness to turn over records, he should not be required to appear for an interview. Terwilliger did not immediately return an email seeking comment on the latest revelations.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here
