WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol released a report Sunday advocating contempt of Congress charges against Mark Meadows, former President Donald J. Trump’s chief of staff, with evidence. from Mr Meadows’ deep involvement in the effort to undo the 2020 presidential election.
In the 51-page document, the committee said it wanted to question Mr. Meadows about an email he sent a day before the attack advising the National Guard would be used to defend Trump supporters. The panel said it also wanted to ask him about an exchange with an unnamed senator about voter rejection for Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Meadows had cooperated with the commission’s investigation, but he declined to appear last week for a scheduled statement or provide additional documents, citing Mr Trump’s claim of executive privilege. The commission, which is controlled by Democrats, will vote Monday to recommend contempt of Congress against him for his refusal to cooperate with the subpoena. The charge carries a prison term of up to one year.
Before being at odds with the panel, Mr. Meadows more than 9,000 pages of records to the commission. The information they contained raised additional questions, the panel said.
Among the emails and text messages Mr. Meadows handed over were the following, the panel said:
A Nov. 7 email discussing an effort to negotiate with state lawmakers about appointing pro-Trump voters in place of the Biden voters elected by voters. In the text messages from Mr. Meadows was also seen asking members of Congress how he described Mr. Trump was able to connect with state lawmakers.
Text messages Mr. Meadows exchanged with an unidentified senator, in which he shared Mr Trump’s views on Vice President Mike Pence’s ability to reject voters from certain states. Mr Trump “thinks the lawmakers have the power, but the VP also has the power,” wrote Mr Meadows.
A Jan. 5 email in which Mr. Meadows said the National Guard would be at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to “protect pro Trump people.”
Emails from Mr. Meadows to Justice Department officials on Dec. 29, Dec. 30, and Jan. 1, encouraging investigations into voter fraud, including charges already dismissed by federal investigators and courts.
Text messages Mr. Meadows exchanged with members of Congress when violence swept the Capitol on Jan. 6, in which lawmakers encouraged him to persuade Mr. Trump to deter the attack, as well as a text message sent to one of the family members of Mr. the president was sent in which Mr. Meadows said he “pressed hard” for Mr. Trump to “condemn this”.
Text messages reflecting Mr. Meadows’ personal skepticism about some of the wild public statements about allegations of widespread electoral fraud and compromised voting machines put forth by Sidney Powell, an attorney who works with Rudolph W. Giuliani, the personal attorney for Mr Trump.
The commission also said it had a number of questions in response to Mr Meadows’ new book, “The Chief’s Chief”, and cited it as evidence that his refusal to testify was “untenable”.
“Mr. Meadows has shown his willingness to discuss issues related to the Select Committee’s investigation through various media platforms — anywhere, it seems, except with the Select Committee,” the panel wrote.
The committee also said it had questions about why Mr. Meadows had used a personal cell phone, a Signal account and two personal Gmail accounts to conduct official business, and whether he had properly transferred all records from those accounts to the National Archives. .
The report comes as the committee examines a 38-page PowerPoint document containing plans to undo Mr Biden’s victory. That document, which Mr. Meadows provided to the committee, urged Mr. Trump to declare a national emergency to remain in power and contained an unsupported claim that China and Venezuela had taken control of the voting infrastructure. in a majority of states.
Mr Meadows’ lawyer has said he provided the document to the committee because he received it by email and did nothing with it.
Phil Waldron, a retired army colonel who has promoted false claims of voter fraud, said he circulated the document to Trump’s allies and lawmakers on Capitol Hill in the days before the mob violence. Mr Giuliani has identified Mr Waldron as a source of information for his legal campaign.
Waldron told The Washington Post that he had visited the White House several times after last year’s election and had “perhaps eight to ten times” with Mr. Meadows.
Emily Cochrane reporting contributed.
