Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, was one of 19 defendants charged in an indictment issued on August 14 in Georgia.
According to the Associated Press, the 100-page indictment alleges dozens of actions former President Donald Trump and his allies took to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss and stop the peaceful transition of power.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought the indictment which follows an investigation that lasted more than two years. It is the fourth criminal case brought against the former president.
Meadows was listed as a key player in Trump’s actions following the 2020 election. The indictment listed Meadows name a dozen times throughout the document as a part of crucial planning meetings with Trump and lawyers. It also outlined Meadow’s role scheduling meetings to spread election misinformation in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.
Meadows was part of some of the most infamous incidents in the indictment.
The indictment alleges Meadows visited Cobb County while state investigators were conducting an audit of the signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in December 2020.
In December 2020, Meadows met with Trump and John McEntee to ask McEntee to outline a strategy for disrupting and delaying the January 6, 2021 session of congress during which the votes from the election would be legally verified.
Meadows participated in the centerpiece of the indictment: the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The incident was a solicitation of violation of oath by public officer and charges Meadows and Trump with this illegal act, according to the indictment.
Meadows also connected Trump with the Chief Investigator for the Secretary of State’s office Frances Watson. Meadows texted Watson in part, “Is there a way to speed up Fulton county signature verification in order to have results before Jan if the trump campaign assist financially,” according to the indictment.
Not first election fraud allegation for Meadows
The measure is also not the first time that Meadows has featured in an election fraud situation. The former Macon County Republican Party Chair was investigated for voter fraud in 2022 for registering to vote in both North Carolina and Virginia. He was ultimately removed from the voter rolls in Macon County and he was not charged with voter fraud.
Meadows served as U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th District which includes the 15 westernmost counties from 2013 to 2020. He previously lived in Macon County.
“My office has concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt against either Mr. or Mrs. Meadows, so my office will not prosecute this case,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Meadows was also subpoenaed by the January 6 committee in September 2021 but did not cooperate with the committee. He was held in criminal contempt by the committee in December 2021, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him on that charge. Meadows ultimately shared texts and records with the Justice Department in 2022.
Prosecutors said all those indicted in the most recent indictment must all surrender to authorities by August 25.
