Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had been advised of intelligence reports indicating the potential for violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to new evidence released Friday night connected to the House committee’s investigation into the incident.
Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as a special assistant in White House during the Trump administration, told the investigating committee “there were concerns brought forward” to Meadows, according to the newly released transcripts of the testimony.
It was unclear what, if anything, Meadows did with the intelligence, Hutchinson said.
“I just remember Mr. Ornato coming in and saying that we had intel reports saying that there could potentially be violence on the 6th,” Hutchinson said, apparently referencing Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official. “And Mr. Meadows said: ‘All right. Let’s talk about it.’”
Hutchinson’s testimony was submitted to by lawmakers to federal court in Washington DC in an effort to legally compel Meadows to meet with the panel after he sued them in an attempt to prevent speaking on the record.
The select committee said Friday that Meadows initially turned over 2,319 text messages, but withheld more than 1,000 others on grounds of executive privilege, which was waived by President Biden.
Friday’s filing also includes a number of new texts that Meadow submitted to the committee, including some from House Republicans pushing him to act.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio suggests in a late text on Jan. 5 that Vice President Mike Pence “should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all.”
Meadows responded to Jordan via text early the next morning. “I have pushed for this. Not sure it is going to happen.”
Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry was texting Meadows as early as Dec. 26: “Mark, just checking in as time continues to count down. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 days to inauguration. We gotta get going!”
Hutchinson, according to the testimony released Friday, also described several calls involving Meadows and members of the House Freedom Caucus in late November and early December.
This is an excerpt from New York Post.
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