Exclusive: Trump's Lawyers Think Mark Meadows Is Going Down

[demmiblue]

Source: Rolling Stone

The Jan. 6 Committee is probing the former chief of staff’s finances, Rolling Stone has learned, adding to a long list of legal headaches

...

Trump’s inner circle increasingly views Meadows as a likely fall guy for the former president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, so much so that members of Trump’s legal team are actively planning planning certain strategies around Meadows’ downfall — and Trump has himself begun the process of distancing himself from some of his onetime senior aide’s alleged pre- and post-Jan.6 actions. Indeed, several of Trump’s legal and political advisers have already spoken to the ex-president, on a number of occasions in recent months, about how much “trouble” Meadows is likely in.

Meadows’ already bleak legal prospects could get even worse. Rolling Stone has learned that the Jan. 6 committee has been quietly probing his financial dealings, and any new revelations would add to an already long list of unethical and potential illegal actions he’s accused of taking on behalf of Donald Trump.

“Everyone is strategizing around the likelihood that Mark is in a lot of trouble,” says a lawyer close to the former president. “Everyone who knows what they’re doing, anyway.”

This reporting is based on Rolling Stone’s conversations with eight sources familiar with the matter, each of whom is still working in Trump’s political orbit, on his legal defense, or in Republican circles in regular contact with the ex-president. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss sensitive matters. A spokesperson for Meadows declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mark-meadows-jan6-trump-cheney-1382261/

[emulatorloo]

1. So far, Meadows seems very happy to fall on his sword to protect Trump. Why?

[agingdem]

6. short of Meadows suddenly flying off to

a non-extradition country, this is the time for Meadows to sit down with the J6 committee, spill his guts under oath and cut a deal with the DOJ...

and why would Meadows fall on his sword?...a million ($$$$) reasons with a promise of more to come

[InstantGratification]

8. He still sees silence as his best shot to avoid jail

If Trump's legal team and others start to make it obvious that they view Meadows as a fall guy to insulate Trump and start taking actions and making statements to make that happen, Meadows will be under immense pressure. At some point he has to realize his best play is to flip. I don't know if he will or not, but the pressure cooker gets turned up with each new witness.

I'm not actually predicting this, but I had an amusing thought: What if Meadows has already made that calculation, skipped the J6 committee and started cooperating with the DoJ in secret. Unlikely for sure, but amusing to think of Trump's melt down if something like that came out.

[karynnj]

12. He might see no other choice

It might be that the J6 committee already as too much on him, Trump and other inner circle people to offer him immunity for his testimony. As a former President has never even been indicted, Meadows may actually be the biggest fish other than Trump. It may be that the DOJ, using stuff they have on their own and the J6 stuff, might - as happened in Watergate - want involved cabinet and top administration people to go to jail.

Meadows may see a possible Trump or Trump-like Republican President as someone who would pardon him. (Personally, I assume that a Trump like President will strategically praise "all the good things" (as even Cassidy said) while rejecting what was done when Trump lost. (Note - they can still be for suppressing votes, but against an insurrection. This could mean that Meadows, Powell, Giuliani etc might be scapegoated as misleading Trump that he could do this. It might be that the Republican right might try to protect just Trump.)

[wnylib]

31. The J6 committee does not have the legal power

to offer immunity. They are only an investigative committee of Congress. Immunity is a DOJ power.

Could it be that that's why Meadows has not been indicted for contempt of Congress after ignoring a subpoena? He might already have made a deal with DOJ, or they might be anticipating or working on a deal with him.

[mopinko]

19. well, there's the $1m

likely w more to follow depending on performance.

[Mz Pip]

25. What I've read about Meadows

He’s a religious zealot and thinks he’s he was called by god to serve Trump. He’ll allow himself to be a martyr to the cause if he thinks that's his calling.

[YoshidaYui]

27. Really

He should find a sword and fall on it while on TV, just a suggestion for all Trump followers!

[calimary]

34. That'd be fine with me.

He strikes me as unrecoverable. And unreachable. And unsalvageable. And unredeemable.

[wnylib]

33. What do his zealous religious beliefs

say about accepting million dollar bribes?

A "true believer" would not need bribes.

[Mawspam2]

26. Putin has Meadow's pee tape.

[VMA131Marine]

2. There is no reasonable scenario where Meadows goes down ...

but Trump doesn’t.

Unless…DOJ just refuses to prosecute Trump. That would be a huge mistake.

[agingdem]

11. Trump will get indicted...

Meadows, Bannon, Flynn, Eastman, Giuliani will go down as well..and maybe Clark, Navarro, and Chesboro..not sure about Sidney Powell... she's a smug, obnoxious, loathsome wacko hag but I'm not sure that's indictable...

[Traildogbob]

22. Should be

With planning armed coup takeover. I wanna see Gym and MTG deported while waiting charges. Don’t waste our taxes on locking them up. I would be ok with deportation to GITMO for a decade of so, just waiting for charges, like other capture terrorists. Ya know, for the safety of the country.
I would also like to see trump in a coed prison sharing a cell with the Sasquatch Lawyer. Sneeking Viagra into his mashed taters daily. They deserve each other’s vialness.

[RipVanWinkle]

39. Wake me up when Trump's been indicted.

[Ocelot II]

3. It's time Meadows came clean to the committee.

John Dean spilled the beans to the Watergate committee in part because he realized Nixon wanted to make him the fall guy. If Meadows goes down it's likely he'll take TFG with him regardless, but he's even dumber than he looks if he voluntarily takes the rap for him.

[NCjack]

9. Meadows is a dummy, who is commited to dummyism.

[Novara]

30. I don't think Meadows is nearly as smart as Dean.

But I also expect that when faced with as many crimes as they might pin on him, he may throw the orange fuck under the bus to save his own skin.

How do we know he isn't already cooperating with the DOJ?

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. Finances?

Trump gave Meadows a million bucks, after Meadows agreed to testify to the committee.

Trumps lawyers may be planning for something else, something about Trump (witness tampering?).

[Historic NY]

5. That rock around his neck is going to pull him down

but maybe he might want to save himself.

[Bleacher Creature]

7. He can always cut a deal . . .

[PdamnedQ]

15. I got really drunk and drove my car.

I ran out of gas on the way home.

I pulled my car over and passed out in the backseat.

I woke up to find that my pockets were being turned out and that I was going to sleep somewhere else than home.

At court I asked the judge to understand that my car was a Buick and prone to reckless behavior.

The judge said, "go to jail, go to jail, go to jail, and enjoy your time with basic cable television."

What makes him so special?


NO PLEA DEAL!

LET HIM SUCK HIS OWN DICK FOR AWHILE!

[underpants]

10. What the hell did that stooge Meadows think was going to happen?

Trump has no none zero loyalty to anyone but himself.

[BlueIdaho]

13. Sacrificing his pawns...

We’re near the end of the game and TFG is busy sacrificing his own pieces on the board in order to prolong his inevitable checkmate.

[smb]

17. ♫ ♪ ♬ ...The Wheels On The Bus Go CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH... ♪ ♩ ♬ nt

[BlueIdaho]

38. Why would anyone think Trump would look out for them?

Where in history has that ever happened? 🎶 Nowhere man 🎵

[EndlessWire]

42. LOL! n/t

[LiberalFighter]

14. So Trump including Meadows in his scheme and paying him gets him off the hook?

Is Mafia Don going to hire some goons to take care of Meadows?

[Mike Nelson]

16. Ha-ha!

... his "finances"? What could possibly be wrong there?

[Obvious85]

18. Meadows? I hardly knew him

hardly

[Marthe48]

20. More projection?

One finger pointing at meadows, 4 pointing at traitor?

[Kablooie]

21. Meadows will gladly take the fall.

He probably expects to do a few years in a country club prison and when he gets out he’ll be a conservative superstar.

[llashram]

23. Meadows will be

the trump chump dupe sucker for believing and participating-planning a coup de'tat on 1/6/21. He will take the weight. While I hope he is one of many. I keep having my small nagging doubts that he will be the only one to face justice in trump's higher echelons of powerful people. And that the prior president, the Mussolini-mob boss, won't. I swear I hope these doubts are found to be unfounded.

[40RatRod]

24. I just hope Trumps personal aircraft is chained to the hanger floor...

...so he can't slip out of the country.

[EndlessWire]

43. I'm sure he has a yacht available

just not under Russian registration, lest we seize it.

[fightforfreedom]

28. Meadows is a big coward and a backstabbing SOB.

He would turn on his own mother to stay out of prison.

[Wild blueberry]

29. J6 committee is aiming at Flush

They're not going to miss. Bullseye! Meadows deserves everything that's coming to him, and so does his overlord (or is that overlard?).

[YoshidaYui]

32. We need Trump to go down now

Before he has a chance to run again! (not like that will help him)

[CaptainTruth]

35. Tots & pears...

[pnwmom]

36. This is Trump lawyer propaganda. They and Trump WANT Meadows to take the fall.

They have DECIDED he's going down.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

37. The main reason why the DOJ did not enforce the J6 subpoena is that Meadows is clearly a target

[aggiesal]

40. Pendejo45 didn't do anything. Blame Meadows! n/t

[empedocles]

41. As Cipollone's J6 testimony rolls out, along with the charismatic insider

Cassidy, - meadows will be continually re-evaluating his options.

A few more insider flips may lower his leverage with DOJ.

[EndlessWire]

44. What kind of defense does Trump have?

"My lawyer made me do it." "It's all Meadows fault." They don't have a defense, as ignorance of the law is not a defense.

He better set sail now. We really won't pursue him all that much. Just a submarine following at a distance...just so we know where he went...

[cloudboy07]

45. I couldn't have done that - I'm not smart enough to do that !

[msfiddlestix]

46. Why would anyone in Trmp's current circle of lawyers and staff, talk to Rolling Stone Re J6 et al?

and reveal what their strategic plans in reaction/response to Meadows circumstances related to J6 legal problems?

unless it was to bum-steer leads of inquiry on the events surrounding jan 6. and Meadow's role.