DC Court Dismisses Meadows' Lawsuit to Block Jan. 6 Subpoena (Newsmax)
By Eric Mack | Monday, 31 October 2022 09:54 PM EDT
A U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' lawsuit against the House Jan. 6 Select Committee on Monday.
Judge Carl Nichols ruled the Speech or Debate Clause bars Meadows' lawsuit seeking to block the committee's subpoena and "therefore dismisses Meadows' claims for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction."
"The record makes clear that the challenged subpoenas are protected legislative acts," Nichols ruled.
The ruling will be appealed, though, and that will effectively halt any Meadows compliance of the subpoena before the new Congress is seated in January. Assuming Republicans retake the House majority, the speakership, and the committee gavels, the House Jan. 6 Select Committee's time will be over by the end of the year.
"We will review the decision carefully and consider any further steps that may be appropriate," Meadows' attorney George Terwilliger told Politico.
Meadows was challenging the validity of the House Jan. 6 Select Committee subpoena, including whether a senior aide to a former president can be compelled to testify before Congress, whether a former president can validly assert executive privilege, and whether a sitting president can override a former president's claim of privilege.
Nichols, a judge appointed by former President Donald Trump, warned the House Jan. 6 Select Committee could raise the "speech or debate" on any appeal if it got an unfavorable opinion.
"Such an outcome could cause a significant waste of time and resources, especially considering the novel constitutional questions that this case presents on the merits," Nichols' opinion read.