5 Key Questions for Mark Meadows on January 6 Capitol Attack

Mark Meadows' failure to appear in front of the House of Representatives' select committee investigating the events of January 6 has left many unanswered questions.

The committee voted unanimously on Monday to recommend contempt charges against the former White House chief of staff during the Trump administration.

The chief investigative counsel for the committee provided a summary of the questions they would have asked Meadows in a hearing. The counsel's testimony—name redacted—was released as part of the resolution recommending charges against Meadows.

From that document, here are five key details Meadows would have been asked at his deposition.

1. Alternative Slates of Electors

The committee's chief investigative counsel would have asked Meadows about cell phone calls, emails and text messages relating to state legislatures offering up alternative slates of electors other than the ones chosen by voters in the 2020 presidential election.

This situation prevailed during the post-election crisis of 1876 and led to the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which was reportedly the subject of some of Meadows' communications.

The counsel said: "Specifically, we would've asked Mr. Meadows about emails about the Electoral Count Act and the prospect of state legislators sending alternate slates of electors to Congress, including a November 7, 2020, email with attachments."

"We would've asked him about emails reflecting the Trump campaign's effort to challenge election results, including a December 23 email from Mr. Meadows indicating that, quote, 'Rudy was put in charge. That was the president's decision,' end quote, that reflects a direct communication between Mr. Meadows and the president," the counsel added.

Further, Meadows would have been asked about "text messages regarding efforts to encourage Republican legislators in certain States to send alternate slates
of electors to Congress."

One of those messages reportedly told Meadows: "We have a team on it."

2. Deploying the National Guard

The committee's chief investigative counsel also wanted to ask Meadows about "emails regarding the deployment of the National Guard on January 6, including a January 5 email from Mr. Meadows in which he indicates that the Guard would be present at the Capitol to, quote, 'protect pro Trump people.'"

In the committee's bullet points outlining the case for contempt charges against Meadows, the panel reported that Meadows had said the National Guard would protect Trump supporters on January 6 and "that many more would be available on standby."

3. Justice Department Investigations

The chief investigative counsel wanted to ask Meadows about communications with the Department of Justice about potential investigations into unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.

"We would've asked him about emails from Mr. Meadows to leadership at the Department of Justice on December 29 and 30, 2020, and January 1, 2021, encouraging investigations of suspected voter fraud, including claims that had been previously rebutted by State and Federal investigators and rejected by Federal courts," the counsel said.

State-level officials, including Republicans, have repeatedly denied claims that elections suffered from fraud, while multiple federal courts also rejected such claims.

4. Text Messages to Members of Congress

Meadows would have been asked about text messages to members of Congress about objections to the Electoral College vote and messages to a U.S. senator regarding then Vice President Mike Pence's power during the certification process.

"We would have asked Mr. Meadows about text messages sent to and from members of Congress, including text messages received from a member of Congress in November of 2020 regarding efforts to contact state legislators because, as Mr. Meadows indicates in his text messages, quote, 'POTUS wants to chat with them,'" the chief investigative counsel said.

They would also have asked about "text messages sent to and received from
members of the House of Representatives and the Senate about objections to the
certification of electors in certain States on January 6."

"We would have asked him about text messages sent to and received from a senator regarding the vice president's power to reject electors, including a text in which Mr. Meadows recounts a direct communication with President Trump who, according to Mr. Meadows in his text messages, quote, 'thinks the legislators have the power, but the VP has power too,'" counsel went on.

In addition, Meadows would have been asked about texts to a member of Congress who said Trump had asked him to call Arizona Governor Doug Ducey - a Republican governor in a state Trump lost. Meadows also reportedly asked this member of Congress for contact information for Arizona's attorney general.

Meadows would also have been asked about text messages he received from members of Congress and others before, during and after the storming of the Capitol. Some of those messages were made public by the committee on Monday.

5. Trump's Call with Brad Raffensperger

If Meadows had sat for the December 8 deposition, he would have been asked about his involvement in a January 2 phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where the then president asked him to "find" more than 11,000 votes.

"We'd ask Mr. Meadows about text messages regarding President Trump's January
2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, including
texts to and from participants in the call as it took place, as well as text messages
to and received from Members of Congress after the call took place regarding strategy for dealing with criticism of the call," the chief investigative counsel said.

Audio of that call later appeared in the press and Raffensperger, a Republican, has said he believed Trump's request constituted a threat.

The House Rules Committee will consider the resolution recommending contempt charges against Meadows on Tuesday morning. The full House may vote on the matter as early as Tuesday.