In attempt to block subpoenas, Mark Meadows sues House Jan. 6 committee


Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and members of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Meadows served as former President Donald Trump's final chief of staff, and the committee has requested documents and testimony from him. Meadows, who briefly did cooperate with the lawmakers, is now asking a court to invalidate two subpoenas issued by the committee, calling them "overly broad" and "unduly burdensome." He has argued that matters he would be asked to discuss are covered by executive privilege; President Biden has waived those privilege claims.
The committee determined that since Meadows will no longer cooperate, it will move forward with contempt proceedings against him. The panel's chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), sent a letter to Meadows' attorney on Tuesday night, saying there is "no legitimate basis" for him to brush off the committee's requests. Thompson also mentioned that in Meadows' new book, he writes about the events of Jan. 6, but is "denying a congressional committee the opportunity to ask him about the attack on our Capitol. [That] marks an historic and aggressive defiance of Congress."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands