Mark Meadows Testifying is ‘Very Bad Sign’ for Trump—George Conway
Mark Meadows #MarkMeadows
Donald Trump should be concerned if reports that his former chief of staff Mark Meadows has testified as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal investigations into the former president are accurate, according to a lawyer.
George Conway, a frequent Trump critic who is separated from former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, was reacting to claims in multiple media outlets that Meadows has answered questions under oath about Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and his actions in and around the January 6 attack, as well as the former president’s retention of classified documents after he left the White House.
The New York Times and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Meadows had testified to a grand jury after he was subpoenaed to do so by Smith’s office. ABC News, also citing sources familiar with the matter, said Meadows answered questions relating to both criminal investigations into the former president while appearing in front of the grand jury.
“Without commenting on whether or not Mr Meadows has testified before the grand jury or in any other proceeding, Mr Meadows has maintained a commitment to tell the truth where he has a legal obligation to do so,” George Terwilliger, a lawyer representing Meadows, said in a statement to The New York Times and CNN.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the reports and has contacted Terwilliger and Trump’s office for comment via email.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Joy Reid, Conway said it is “very significant” and a “very bad sign” for Trump if Meadows has testified, given how important a figure he is in both investigations.
“Particularly in the January 6 investigation, where he was really the gatekeeper with respect to communications to Trump when people were trying to get through to Trump and say ‘you have to say something,'” Conway said.
“He was the guy who was opening and closing the door and talking to Trump, he was the one who got Ivanka to come down to talk to her father.
“He was basically in Grand Central Station that day,” Conway added. “And if anyone could shed light on Trump’s state of mind, what he did and he didn’t do, it’s Mark Meadows and that’s got to be a very, very disturbing thing for Donald Trump.”
Meadows has long been thought to be a key witness as part of the investigation into Trump’s attempts to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, and was present with Trump on January 6 as the riot at the Capitol was taking place.
Meadows was previously subpoenaed to hand over thousands of text messages to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack. The messages revealed that GOP lawmakers, Fox News presenters and members of Trump’s own family tried to persuade Meadows to get the former president to tell his supporters to end the violence on January 6, something Trump failed to do for more than three hours.
Meadows’ appearance in front of the grand jury as part of the January 6 probe was expected after a judge rejected Trump’s attempt to have his grand jury appearance blocked on the grounds of executive privilege in March.
Meadows has also become a significant figure in Smith’s classified documents investigation, where Trump is accused of mishandling top secret materials, and then obstructing the federal attempt to retrieve them.
Meadows was one of Trump’s representatives to the National Archives while the agency was trying to get the former president to return the documents, and he had some role discussing the matter with Trump, reported The New York Times.
Recently, reports emerged that an audio recording exists of Trump admitting he was still in possession of a classified Pentagon paper and that he no longer had the authority to declassify it.
The recording was made at a July 2021 meeting at Trump’s resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, with two people who were helping to write Meadows’ biography. The alleged audio casts doubt on Trump’s defense that he had declassified all the materials which he was still in possession of after he left the White House.
Meadows was not present at the July 2021 meeting where Trump allegedly discussed having the classified document.
The reports of Meadows testifying to the grand jury emerged following claims that Trump and his team had not been in contact with his former chief of staff despite being considered a key figure in Smith’s probes, prompting speculation Meadows was cooperating.
“We’ve all heard the same rumors,” one Trump adviser told CNN in May. “No one really knows what he’s doing though.”
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