Prosecutors question Mark Meadows on 2020 election fraud claims

A prosecutor with the Fulton County district attorney’s office is now questioning Mark Meadows, pressing the former White House chief of staff on his actions after the 2020 election.

The prosecutor with District Attorney Fani Willis’ office asked Meadows which federal policy, specifically, Meadows was advancing when he joined a post-election call with Donald Trump’s then-personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

Meadows has given a few different answers to the question, which is being asked multiple times. Meadows said he was the president’s timekeeper and schedule manager. He also said there was a federal interest in accurate and fair elections. And Meadows testified that he could recommend legislative ways to make election more secure.

The prosecutor continues to press Meadows with tough, narrow questioning on the federal government’s role in the state’s determination of its election results. 

Meadows was asked about then-Attorney General Bill Barr telling Trump that the fraud allegations were “bullsh*t” – key testimony that came out of the January 6 committee’s congressional hearings.

Meadows said Monday that he believed at the time that “further investigation” was warranted, even though he “had no reason to doubt Mr. Barr’s” assessment that the fraud allegations were meritless. But he said he still thought “additional inquiries were appropriate.”

Meadows distanced himself from Giuliani, Bernie Kerik and Jenna Ellis in his testimony when questioned about whether he gave direction, took direction or accepted direction from Giuliani, an outside lawyer who worked to challenge the 2020 election results. Meadows said of Giuliani: “He didn’t work for me.”

At times, however, Giuliani would tell Meadows he “wanted something done,” Meadows said. “But I didn’t work for him.” 

Meadows also made clear that former Trump attorney Ellis and Kerik, who worked with Giuliani to find supposed election fraud, were also separate from Meadows’ administrative role.