NEWS: Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s Statement on Vote to refer Mark Meadows to Justice Department for Criminal Contempt
For Immediate Release
December 15, 2021
Contact: bowman.press@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) issued the following statement on his vote in the House of Reps. to refer former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, to the Department of Justice for criminal contempt.
Mark Meadows defied a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He has based his refusal on an executive privilege claim by Donald Trump. Meadows' text messages from January 6th were released in the select committee and could be used to show how he was an accessory to the insurrection and show the importance and magnitude of his cooperation.
“Every public official should act with the public’s best interest in mind. The insurrection that occurred at the Capitol on January 6th was instigated by the Trump administration and allowed to go on for hours due to the same administration’s failure to act. Almost a year later, the trauma, stress, and fear caused by the insurrection impacts Americans nationwide. Mark Meadows was in direct communication with former President Trump and in his role, had multiple opportunities to protect the Capitol and our democracy by assisting in deescalating rioters. However, as text messages released from that day will show, Meadows abandoned any commitment to the people and to our democracy.”
“Mark Meadows is the first White House chief of staff facing criminal charges since H.R. Halderman during the Watergate scandal. Under Meadow’s leadership, our country was tormented with years of racist, hateful and bigoted policy that culminated into an attack on our Capitol, elected officials and common people working at the Capitol to support our democracy. Mark Meadows needs to be held accountable for the part he played in neglecting our democracy and we need to set an example for the leadership we expect as a country moving forward.”
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