Cheney: What Meadows Knew About 1/6 Insurrection And Why The Contempt Charge Is Fitting

Michigan Advance

December 14, 2021

The bipartisan House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol has voted to recommend contempt charges against former North Carolina Congressman and Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Meadows, who initially signaled he would cooperate with the panel, did an about-face and refused to answer further questions.

But Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the panel’s vice chair, shared on Monday texts Meadows did receive that day, and why he cannot hide behind executive privilege now.

Here’s an excerpt of Cheney’s opening statement:

“We believe Mr. Meadows is improperly asserting executive and other privileges. But this vote on contempt today relates principally to Mr. Meadows’s refusal to testify about text messages and other communications that he admits are not privileged. He has not claimed, and does not have, any privilege bases to refuse entirely to testify regarding these topics. Let me give just three examples:

“The violence was evident to all. It was covered in real time by almost every news channel. But for 187 minutes, President Trump refused to act when action by our President was required, essential, and indeed compelled by his oath to our Constitution.

“Mr. Meadows received numerous text messages, which he has produced without any privilege claim – imploring that Mr. Trump take the specific action we all knew his duty required. These text messages leave no doubt. The White House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol. Members of Congress, the press, and others wrote to Mark Meadows as the attack was underway.

“One text Mr. Meadows received said, quote, ‘We are under siege up here at the Capitol.’

“Another, quote, ‘They have breached the Capitol.’

“In a third, ‘Mark, protestors are literally storming the Capitol. Breaking windows on doors. Rushing in. Is Trump going to say something?’

“A fourth, ‘There’s an armed standoff at the House Chamber door.’

“And another, from someone inside the Capitol, ‘We are all helpless.’

“Dozens of texts, including from Trump administration officials, urged immediate action by the President.

“Quote, ’POTUS has to come out firmly and tell protestors to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed.’

“In another, ‘Mark, he needs to stop this. Now.’

“A third, in all caps, ‘TELL THEM TO GO HOME.’

“A fourth, and I quote, ‘POTUS needs to calm this [shit] down.’

“Indeed, according to the records, multiple Fox News hosts knew the President needed to act immediately. They texted Mr. Meadows, and he has turned over those texts.

“Quote, ‘Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy,’ Laura Ingraham wrote.

“’Please get him on tv. Destroying everything you have accomplished,’ Brian Kilmeade texted.

“’Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the Capitol,’ Sean Hannity urged.

“As the violence continued, one of the President’s sons texted Mr. Meadows.

“Quote, ‘He’s got to condemn this [shit] ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough,’ Donald Trump, Jr. texted.

“Meadows responded, quote, ‘I’m pushing it hard. I agree.’

“Still, President Trump did not immediately act.

“Donald Trump, Jr. texted again and again, urging action by the President.

“Quote, ‘We need an Oval Office address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand,’ end quote.

“But hours passed without the necessary action by the President.

“These non-privileged texts are further evidence of President Trump’s supreme dereliction of duty during those 187 minutes. And Mr. Meadows testimony will bear on another key question before this Committee: Did Donald Trump, through action or inaction, corruptly seek to obstruct or impede Congress’s official proceeding to count electoral votes? Mark Meadows testimony is necessary to inform our legislative judgments.

“Yet he has refused to give any testimony at all—even regarding non-privileged topics. He is in contempt of Congress.”

The House could vote as early as Tuesday to refer the charges to the Justice Department, which will ultimately decide whether to prosecute the former North Carolina congressman.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House panel, summed it up this way: “Whatever legacy he thought he left in the House, this is his legacy now. His former colleagues singling him out for criminal prosecution because he wouldn’t answer questions about what he knows about a brutal attack on our democracy. That’s his legacy.”

This story first ran in the Advance‘s sister outlet, NC Policy Watch. Read the story here.

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