Share
Commentary

Mark Meadows Drops Bomb on Jan. 6 Committee: Sues Pelosi and Every Single Member

Share

On Wednesday, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows sued House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all nine members of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 incursion into the Capitol, claiming that they are exceeding their constitutional authority.

The committee has subpoenaed Meadows to testify and his cell provider, Verizon, to turn over phone records for the months leading up to the end of former President Donald Trump’s term until the end of January.

Meadows’ attorney sent a letter to the committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, on Tuesday, saying his client would no longer cooperate with the committee’s investigation, given it appears to have “no intention of respecting the boundaries concerning Executive Privilege” and the “wide ranging” subpoena of his phone records would include “intensely personal” and potentially “privileged” communications.

According to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, “Executive privilege is the power of the president and other officials in the executive branch to withhold certain forms of confidential communication from the courts and the legislative branch.”

Thompson responded to Meadows’ attorney Tuesday, noting his client’s failure to appear to be deposed and writing, “There is no legitimate legal basis for Mr. Meadows to refuse to cooperate.”

Trending:
Prince Harry Named in Major Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Against Rapper

“The Select Committee is left with no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution,” the congressman concluded.

Meadows’ lawsuit, filed in the federal district court for the District of Columbia, the same day as Thompson’s letter, states the subpoenas directed at the former chief of staff and Verizon are “overly broad and unduly burdensome.”

Did Meadows make the right move by suing?

“For months, Mr. Meadows has consistently sought in good faith to pursue an accommodation with the Select Committee whereby it could obtain relevant, non-privileged information,” the complaint says.

“While the Committee and Mr. Meadows engaged over a period of time in an effort to achieve such reasonable accommodation, the Select Committee adamantly refused to recognize the immunity of present and former senior White House aides from being compelled to appear before Congress and likewise refused to recognize a former president’s claims of Executive Privilege and instructions to Mr. Meadows to maintain such privilege claims in addressing the Select Committee’s inquiries.”

The complaint further states that President Joe Biden purportedly has waived former Trump’s claims of executive privilege and immunity.

As a sidebar, how Biden can waive Trump’s right to executive privilege is odd.

Meadows’ lawsuit points out the quandary that puts him in, and hence his decision to go to federal court.

Related:
Liz Cheney's Jan. 6 Committee Was So Vicious That Sec. of Defense Himself Felt Threatened

“Mr. Meadows, a witness, has been put in the untenable position of choosing between conflicting privilege claims that are of constitutional origin and dimension and having to either risk enforcement of the subpoena issued to him, not merely by the House of Representatives, but through actions by the Executive and Judicial Branches, or, alternatively, unilaterally abandoning the former president’s claims of privileges and immunities,” the complaint states.

“Thus, Mr. Meadows turns to the courts to say what the law is.”

In addition to Pelosi and Thompson, Meadows’ lawsuit also names anti-Trump Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, as well as the other Democratic representatives on the committee like Trump impeachment “stars” Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

Meadows is expected to get a fair shake from that gang? Not likely at all.

Concerning the phone records subpoena, Meadows told Fox News on Wednesday, “It was so broad that you would have to do some type of legislative contortions to find a legislative reason for that subpoena.”

Attorney John Eastman, whose phone records have also been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee, told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, “They want to track Americans’ thinking. They want to know who your contacts are. They want to know who you were communicating with about election integrity.”

CNN reported that the committee has subpoenaed the phone records of over 100 people, many of whom are former Trump officials and associates.

The outlet said the subpoenas went out to 35 social media and telecommunication companies, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Sprint.

Carlson highlighted that many of the records are for people, like Meadows and Eastman, who have been accused of no crime.

Meadows is right to sue Pelosi and her hand-picked crew of Trump derangement syndrome sufferers.

The federal judge should block enforcement of these overly broad subpoenas and put the rogue lawmakers back in their place.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , ,
Share
Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




Conversation