Meadows’s lawyers: Jan. 6 committee trying to ‘vilify’ him
Former President Trump’s onetime chief of staff Mark Meadows alleged in a filing Friday that the Jan. 6 House committee is trying to tank his reputation with the public in a fight over his cooperation with the panel’s subpoenas.
“The Select Committee’s true political motivations are demonstrated by accusation, innuendo and speculation included in its filings, which are transparently intended to vilify Mr. Meadows—mostly, if not entirely, on matters that are irrelevant to the issues presented,” Meadows’s lawyers wrote.
The filing comes amid a legal battle over Meadows’s refusal to comply with the committee’s subpoenas. Meadows sued in December to challenge the subpoenas for his testimony for details relating to the Capitol riot and for a request to Verizon for his cellphone records.
The committee asked the judge to expedite the proceedings to force Meadows to comply with its request.
Meadows’s lawyers argue in the Friday filing that there may be “factual issues germane to both sides’ arguments” that should allow for discovery, a legal, fact-finding process.
“As the Congressional Defendants’ own motion illustrates, there are important factual issues germane to both sides’ arguments that ought to be addressed at the Rule 26(f) Conference, and which may be the appropriate subjects for discovery,” the filing reads.
The committee is targeting Meadows because it believes he has information that would help its investigation into what led up to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
Amid the subpoena fight, thousands of Meadows’s private communications with high-profile Republicans have been released to the House committee.
Dozens of those texts were made public by CNN, showing Meadows was in contact with Fox News host Sean Hannity on the day of the 2020 election.
The texts discussed where citizens needed more encouragement to get out and vote for Trump, with Meadows saying more voters needed to go out in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada and Arizona.
“The Congressional Defendants, under the auspices of a legitimate subpoena, induced Mr. Meadows to produce thousands of his private communications only to use them in a concerted and ongoing effort to vilify him publicly through the media,” the lawyers wrote.
“The Court should not countenance the Congressional Defendants now to further their obvious and undeniable political objectives by allowing the legal process to reinforce their speculative claims.”
The Hill has reached out to the Jan. 6 committee for comment.
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