Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows avoids contempt charges after literally being seen burning documents: report

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters at the White House on September 17, 2020.

Alex Brandon/AP

• The DOJ declined to hold Mark Meadows in contempt of court after he refused to testify for the Jan. 6 committee. 
• The committee recommended Meadows be charged with contempt but he was not.
• Meadows burned documents following a meeting about challenging the 2020 election results, Politico reported.

Former President Donald Trump's Former Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, avoided contempt charges Friday after refusing to testify for the Jan. 6 congressional committee, Politico reported.

Despite sworn statements from witnesses that he burned documents related to a meeting about overturning the 2020 election results and despite a recommendation from the House committee that he be charged with contempt, the Department of Justice declined to prosecute Meadows after months-long negotiations.

During these negotiations, Meadows turned over thousands of text messages and other communications between himself and members of Congress during and after the Jan. 6 attack. Many lawmakers and Trump allies begged Meadows to do something about the breach of the Capitol.

A former subordinate of Meadows testified she saw him burn documents following a meeting with Rep. Scott Perry in the weeks following the 2020 election, Politico reported. Cassidy Hutchinson, who worked under Meadows, testified that she saw her former boss incinerate documents following his meeting with Rep. Perry.

The content of the documents, and whether they were legally required to be preserved, remains unclear. 

Perry was subpoenaed in December by the select committee to testify over his apparent efforts to install a Trump loyalist as attorney general in an effort to overturn the 2020 election. 

A lawyer for Meadows did not immediately return Insider's request for comment. 

Trump's former social media director, Dan Scavino — who was in close contact with Meadows before and during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — also avoided contempt charges, despite refusing to testify. DOJ previously charged Trump ally Steve Bannon with contempt after he similarly refused to testify for the select committee. 

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