Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows cooperating with Jan. 6 panel; averts contempt showdown – for now
defying the panel’s subpoena for documents and testimony.
“Mr. Meadows has been engaging with the Select Committee through his attorney,” committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Tuesday. “He has produced records to the committee and will soon appear for an initial deposition.”
While acknowledging Meadows’ new cooperation, Thompson said did not rule out future action.
“The committee will continue to assess his degree of compliance with our subpoena after the deposition,” the chairman said.
Meadows had been among a string of former administration officials and campaign advisers refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Former President Donald Trump is fighting a subpoena for his administration’s documents in a federal appeals court Tuesday. And the Justice Department filed criminal contempt charges against Trump political strategist Steve Bannon.
George Terwilliger, a lawyer for Meadows, said earlier this month that the former chief of staff wouldn’t cooperate with the committee until the court battle over Trump’s executive privilege claims is resolved.
What documents does Trump not want the Jan. 6 House panel to see? Appointments, call logs and handwritten notes
The committee also seeks information about Meadows contacting the Justice Department requesting investigations into election fraud in several states and encouraging several state officials to investigate allegations of election fraud. More than 60 election lawsuits were dismissed for issues such as lack of standing or merit.
Terwilliger sent a letter to the committee saying Meadows felt “duty bound” to disregard the subpoena.