Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is navigating a delicate situation as he provides testimony to federal investigators in cases against former President Donald Trump while maintaining his relationships with influential congressional Republicans. Meadows, who has been granted immunity, recently attended a right-wing gala in Washington, DC, where he mingled with well-connected Republicans, according to two people in attendance. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Meadows provided information related to the 2020 election subversion and classified documents investigations. Although he did not receive blanket immunity, he was assured that he would not be prosecuted for the information he shared. Meadows, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, still holds significant influence among conservative lawmakers, but his position within pro-Trump circles may be at risk if Republicans suspect he has turned against the former president.
Despite his participation in supporting conservative candidates aligned with Trump, Meadows is a key witness against Trump in his criminal cases. The bipartisan January 6 committee has stated that Meadows is uniquely positioned to provide critical information about attempts to delay or prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, stated that the recent ABC News report, which claimed Meadows had turned on Trump, was largely inaccurate, although he did not specify which parts were inaccurate. Meadows did not comment on the report, and his legal team declined to comment for this story.
Meadows has maintained close ties with many of Trump’s allies in Congress since leaving office. He has played a crucial role in advising right-wing holdouts on how to exact concessions from House GOP leadership. Meadows’ think tank, the Conservative Partnership Institute, where he serves as senior partner, played a significant role in boosting fellow Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan’s failed speakership candidacy. Jordan, when asked whether Meadows had turned on Trump, replied that he did not believe Meadows would do that and that Meadows thinks highly of the former president. However, Meadows provided damning text messages to the January 6 committee and gave crucial grand jury testimony to special counsel Jack Smith’s team. Meadows is currently facing his own criminal charges in Georgia related to allegations of pressuring Georgia election officials and involvement in the fake-elector efforts.
Advisers to Trump maintain that they are not concerned about Meadows’ level of cooperation at this time. They argue that it is unclear how valuable his information could be in a trial setting and trust Terwilliger’s statement regarding the ABC News story. Meadows previously testified before the grand jury as part of a proffer agreement, providing legal protection. However, his appearance occurred before Trump and Meadows were charged in separate investigations.
Meadows’ retellings of his dealings with Trump regarding the 2020 election have raised inconsistencies and omissions. In private testimony to Smith’s team, he reportedly dismissed Trump’s voter fraud claims, while in his memoir, he leaned into the fraud claims more assertively. Meadows has participated in three versions of his dealings with Trump, including his book, private testimony, and testimony at a public court hearing related to his Georgia indictment.
As Meadows walks the tightrope between cooperating with investigators and maintaining his political relationships, his actions and words will continue to be scrutinized.