WASHINGTON (AP) – A former White House official told a House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol uprising that President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had been notified of intelligence reports showing potential for violence that day, according to transcripts published late Friday night.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a special aide at Trump’s White House, told the committee he had “concerns” in Meadows before the uprising, but it was unclear what Meadows had done with the information.
“I only remember Mr. Ornato coming in and saying we have intelligence reports that there could be potential violence on the 6th,” Hutchinson said, possibly referring to Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official. “And Mr. Meadows said, ‘Okay. Let’s talk about it. “
Friday’s filing is the latest salvo in months of litigation over the extent to which Meadows, a close ally of Trump whose closeness to the president has made him a key target of Democrats in the House of Representatives, could be forced to co-operate in the commission’s investigation. Although Meadows provided the commission with thousands of text messages, he declined to appear in an interview, arguing that he was immune from the need to testify under his position in the White House and instead tried the committee.
The request seeks a court ruling in favor of the commission, which would force Meadows to co-operate. It says the committee has clarified the scope of its request to focus on seven specific topics, including evidence of communication with Congress before January 6; on the White House’s plans to replace the leadership of the Ministry of Justice so that the ministry can prosecute Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud; and efforts to create alternative or false lists of state voters that could change the outcome of the presidential vote.
The Commission published as evidence in the complaint excerpts from the testimony of a number of witnesses it had questioned, including Hutchinson. In addition to describing the warnings of potential violence given to Meadows, she also revealed how the White House lawyer’s office warns against plans to attract fake voters in the states, including meetings with Meadows and Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The recording also includes new text messages that Meadows sent to the committee, including several members of the GOP Congress urging him to act. Meadows’ former colleague and close friend, Jim Jordan of Ohio, suggested in a late statement on Jan. 5 – the day before Congress confirmed Joe Biden’s election victory – that Vice President Mike Pence “should call out all electoral votes he deems unconstitutional.” as there are no electoral votes at all.
Meadows sent a message in the early hours of January 6: “I insisted. I’m not sure that’s going to happen. “Pence eventually resisted enormous pressure from Trump and his allies and did not try to object to Biden’s certification.
Pennsylvania spokesman Scott Perry sent an SMS to Meadows on December 26: “Mark, I’m just registering while the time goes by. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 days to the opening. We have to go!”
In texts published by the commission, Perry encouraged Meadows to speak with Jeffrey Clark, an assistant attorney general who is sympathetic to Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud. One week later, on January 3, Clark attended a White House meeting with Trump to discuss the prospect of Clark’s appointment as acting attorney general – but was strongly opposed by Justice Department officials who threatened to the White House Attorneys also resigned. Eventually, Trump backed off.
Evidence released Friday also confirmed how some Republican members of Congress were deeply involved in discussions in the White House to cancel the election in the months leading up to the deadly riot.
Hutchinson, for example, described several conversations involving Meadows and members of the far-right Freedom Parliament in late November and early December, in which participants discussed what Pence’s role could be on Jan. 6, in addition to the ceremonial role he was to play. plays.
These calls, according to Hutchinson, were representatives of Trump’s legal team, including Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, as well as Jordan and Perry.
Meadows’ case asked a judge to annul two subpoenas he had received from the commission, claiming they were “too broad and unduly burdensome”. The case accused the commission of exaggerating Verizon’s summons for recordings on his mobile phone.
After the complaint was filed, the elected committee sent a charge of contempt to Congress against Meadows in the hall, where it adopted a vote close to the party. This was the first time the chamber had voted out of respect for a former member since 1830.
While an earlier allegation of contempt of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon led to charges, the Justice Department was slow to decide whether to prosecute Meadows.
The case against Meadows is more complex than the one against Bannon, in part because Meadows was White House chief of staff and because he had begun cooperating with the commission, even providing documents to the nine-member commission.
Meadows ‘lawyer, George Teruiliger, had previously defended his client, noting that because of Meadows’ willingness to submit recordings, he should not be forced to appear for an interview. Terwilliger did not immediately return an email asking for comment on Friday night.
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