Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Meadows Cooperating with January 6 Committee
The Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has handed over documents to the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. He has also agreed to appear for a deposition under oath. Of all the actors in this sorry play, Mr. Meadows is the one most likely to know where all the bodies are buried. As WHCoS, he was Mr. Trump's right-hand man. Mr. Meadows is taking a different legal approach from that adopted by others who have refused to cooperate at all. He is clearly trying to find some distance from Mr. Trump.
The chairman of the Jan. 6 committee, Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) announced that Meadows "has produced records to the committee and will soon appear for an initial deposition." The chairman added, "The Select Committee expects all witnesses, including Mr. Meadows, to provide all information requested and that the Select Committee is lawfully entitled to receive. The committee will continue to assess his degree of compliance with our subpoena after the deposition."
Mr Meadows' attorney, George Terwilliger, has made clear that his client will not testify about absolutely everything; there are limits. Yet he also said that he is working toward an agreement with the committee that "does not require Mr. Meadows to waive executive privilege or to forfeit the long-standing position that senior White House aides cannot be compelled to testify before Congress."
The position of WHCoS gives Mr. Meadows a prima facie claim for executive privilege. The concept exists to allow a president to receive advice that may be unpopular or politically dangerous in confidence, thus ensuring greater range of opinions from which to choose. That makes sense, although it would have been nice for the founders to include it in the Constitution. At the same time, there are limits to that privilege. For instance, it cannot cover criminal activity, which on January 6, 2021, was rampant at the White House and the Capitol. For instance, the mob beat police officers, felony assault.
Steve Bannon, a wannabe revolutionary, has decided his brand is better served if he defies the committee and goes to jail, if the Justice Department can get a conviction. Mr. Meadows is a different breed of cat. He is a politician, a class of person not known for unnecessary courageous action. He definitely doesn't want to go to jail. So, the question becomes just how much cooperating does he have to do to stay free?
There is, however, another reason for Mr. Meadows to be forthcoming. The committee already has a lot of information that may include actions and discussions to which Mr. Meadows was a party. Over 150 people have voluntarily come forward to testify, and the committee already has a few tons of documents. Mr. Meadows has an interest in shining a favorable light on these documents and on that testimony. Whereas Mr. Bannon wants to go down defiantly, Mr. Meadows knows that he can go down badly if various facts come to light in ways that are unflattering to him. He is trying to find a way to put his own spin on the facts.
Finally, one must also consider the effect that even his limited cooperation may have on those farther down the food chain. If the WHCoS testifies, it might be a good idea for some White House staffers or those who work on Capitol Hill to voluntarily talk to the committee. These individuals may not know everything that happened, but they will know bits and pieces. It is the committee's job to assemble those into a coherent whole. Mr. Meadows may have made that a bit easier.
© Copyright 2021 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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