Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff under Donald Trump, is "the central witness" in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) probe into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to former U.S. attorney and legal analyst Harry Litman.
The investigation, being headed up by special counsel Jack Smith, is among the numerous legal battles facing Trump as he attempts to mount a 2024 bid for the presidency. Last week, a grand jury voted to indict Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, another probe by the DOJ, resulting in 37 federal criminal charges—the first in United States history to be leveled against a former president. Trump has consistently asserted his innocence in all of the cases against him, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
Prior to the news of that indictment, reports emerged that Meadows had spoken under oath after being subpoenaed as part of Smith's two investigations, including the probe into the Capitol riot and Trump's broader attempt to subvert democracy and overturn the 2020 presidential election. Due to his proximity to the former president during the time that this scheme was allegedly hatched, Meadows is considered by legal experts to be a vital witness for that investigation.
Speaking with MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart on Saturday, Litman went a step further, calling Meadows "the central witness" for the entire probe and suggesting that his involvement signals that Smith is accelerating his various cases.
"Meadows is the central witness for January 6 investigations," Litman said. "And [Smith] also had some false electors a couple weeks ago...So he is pedal to the metal in many different venues."
Litman also touched on Trump's recent indictment in the classified documents case, echoing theories from other observers that Smith could be keeping charges related to the alleged mishandling of documents at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, in his back pocket. For the time being, Trump has only been charged for allegedly mishandling documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, despite the indictment hinting at similar behavior at the other location. As a result, some experts have suggested that Smith could bring additional charges in New Jersey should the judge handling the case, Trump-appointee Aileen Cannon, somehow allow the former president to escape a conviction.
Prosecutors recently obtained an audio recording of Trump during a July 2021 meeting at his New Jersey golf club where he acknowledged that he kept a classified Pentagon document that detailed a potential attack on Iran after leaving the White House earlier that year. Meanwhile, Trump has denied all wrongdoing amid reports that federal prosecutors obtained the recording.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's press team via email for comment.
In a prior statement to Newsweek, attorney and legal analyst Andrew Lieb called Meadows' involvement "really bad news for Trump" due to his wealth of potential knowledge about the inner workings of the former president's administration.
"If both are true, this is really bad news for Trump, particularly with respect to a possible January 6th seditious conspiracy charge, as Meadows was the central figure in the White House on this issue and knows where all the bodies are buried," he said.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
