Mark Meadows lawsuit fighting Jan. 6 subpoenas tossed by federal judge
Meadows can still appeal the decision and prolong his resistance to appearing before the House Jan. 6 Committee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A U.S. district court has thrown out former Trump administration chief of staff Mark Meadows's lawsuit against the House Jan. 6 Committee.
Meadows filed the lawsuits hoping to vacate two subpoenas issued for him last year to appear before the committee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters following a television interview, outside the White House in Washington, Oct. 21, 2020. (REUTERS/Al Drago/File Picture/File Photo)
Judge Carl Nichols ruled that Meadows' case did not hold up in the face of the Constitution's "speech and debate" clause.
"[Meadows's] claims raise a number of unsettled questions, including whether a senior aide to a former President can be compelled to testify before Congress; whether a former President can validly assert executive privilege; and whether a sitting President may override a former President’s claim of privilege," Nichols wrote.
JAN. 6 COMMITTEE ISSUES TRUMP SUBPOENA SEEKING TESTIMONY ON CAPITOL RIOT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., makes remarks during the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The judge continued, "Before the Court can wrestle with those issues, however, it must first address whether the Speech or Debate Clause bars this suit. The Court concludes that it does, and it therefore dismisses Meadows’s claims for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction."
Meadows can still appeal the decision, which would further prolong his resistance to appearing before the committee. Some Republicans have promised to dismantle the Jan. 6 Committee if the GOP retakes the House in the upcoming midterm elections.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Meadows, in November 2021, began providing records to the Jan. 6 committee.
The House of Representatives voted in December 2021 to hold Meadows in criminal contempt after he ceased cooperating.
Meadows sued the House committee earlier in the month after defying a subpoena.