1/6 Committee Tells Mark Meadows To Show Up Or Face Possible Criminal Prosecution

The leadership of the 1/6 Committee told former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to show up for his deposition, or face a criminal referral.

Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney said in a statement:

Mark Meadows has informed the Select Committee that he does not intend to cooperate further with our investigation despite his apparent willingness to provide details about the facts and circumstances surrounding the January 6th attack, including conversations with President Trump, in the book he is now promoting and selling.

Even as we litigate privilege issues, the Select Committee has numerous questions for Mr. Meadows about records he has turned over to the Committee with no claim of privilege, which include real-time communications with many individuals as the events of January 6th unfolded. We also need to hear from him about voluminous official records stored in his personal phone and email accounts, which were required to be turned over to the National Archives in accordance with the Presidential Records Act.

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Tomorrow’s deposition, which was scheduled at Mr. Meadows’s request, will go forward as planned. If indeed Mr. Meadows refuses to appear, the Select Committee will be left no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution.

Mark Meadows thinks that he can get away with half measures like turning over documents to the Committee without answering questions.  That’s not going to fly. Meadows could be the first former member of Congress to be hit with criminal contempt of Congress charges for refusing to testify.

Meadows has knowledge of criminal activity and if he wants to destroy what might have been left of his political future to protect Donald Trump, the 1/6 Committee won’t stop him from lighting the match and setting his political career ablaze.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association