Ex-Trump chief of staff Meadows cooperating with Jan. 6 panel

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Home of Representatives committee investigating the lethal Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot stated on Tuesday that Mark Meadows, who served as former President Donald Trump’s chief of workers, has offered it with data and agreed to look quickly for a deposition.

“Mr. Meadows has been partaking with the Choose Committee by way of his legal professional. He has produced data to the committee and can quickly seem for an preliminary deposition,” Democratic Consultant Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Home choose committee, stated in an announcement.

Thompson didn’t rule out future motion in opposition to Meadows. Noting that the panel expects all witnesses to supply all the knowledge requested that it’s lawfully entitled to obtain, Thompson stated: “The committee will proceed to evaluate his diploma of compliance with our subpoena after the deposition.”

Trump has urged his associates to not cooperate with the committee, calling the Democratic-led investigation politically motivated and arguing that his communications are protected by government privilege, though many authorized consultants say that authorized precept doesn’t apply to former presidents.

On Jan. 6, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop Congress from formally certifying his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Shortly earlier than the riot, Trump gave a speech to his supporters repeating his false claims that the election was stolen from him by way of widespread voting fraud and urging them to go to the Capitol and “combat like hell” to “cease the steal.”

‘AN UNDERSTANDING’

Meadows’ lawyer George Terwilliger didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Terwilliger stated in an announcement to CNN that the 2 events had reached an understanding on how info may be exchanged shifting ahead, stating that Meadows and the committee are open to partaking on a sure set of matters as they work out the right way to cope with info that would fall beneath government privilege.

Meadows was a Republican Home member till he left in 2020 to affix Trump’s administration.

Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon already has been criminally charged with contempt of Congress, pleading not responsible https://www.reuters.com/world/us/former-trump-adviser-bannon-enters-plea-not-guilty-obstructing-jan-6-2021-11-17, after defying a committee subpoena. The choose committee is assembly https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-panel-probing-capitol-riot-moves-toward-contempt-charge-against-clark-2021-11-29 on Wednesday to contemplate searching for related expenses in opposition to Jeffrey Clark, who served as a senior Justice Division official beneath Trump.

Meadows was referred to as to look earlier than the committee this month, however didn’t accomplish that.

Agreeing to look for a deposition doesn’t assure that Meadows will present all the knowledge requested within the committee’s subpoena. Clark appeared, however committee members stated he didn’t cooperate with investigators.

Home Majority Chief Steny Hoyer instructed reporters on Tuesday that he expects the Democratic-led chamber to vote on Clark’s contempt suggestion this week, if the panel approves it as anticipated.