WATCH: Cheney, Schiff Read Key J6 Texts To Mark Meadows Before Unanimous Vote To Hold Him In Contempt

When all is said and done about today’s events in the January 6 Committe, probably the question that will be asked is, “What did Mark Meadows think that he had to gain by stonewalling?” His situation has not been improved one jot by his doing so. The current answer to that question is that 1) He’s not a very bright guy and 2) He knows that and was afraid that he would perjure himself.

Now he’s got a contempt of Congress referral to deal with.

The January 6 Committee issued a 51-page report on Sunday night on Meadows and they also read key texts out loud in its deliberation today. The evidence is glaring that everyone and their uncle was texting Mark Meadows on January 6 and begging him to get Trump under control.

Watch:

Cheney reads a J6 text from Laura Ingraham to Mark Meadows that read, "he [Trump] is destroying his legacy" & another from Brian Kilmeade that said Trump was "destroying everything you've accomplished" by not speaking out against the insurrection. Even Don Jr pleaded for action pic.twitter.com/VixsGgFkfC

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 14, 2021

Here’s Adam Schiff.

Schiff reads texts from Republican lawmakers to Meadows, including one on January 7 that said, "We tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states. I'm sorry nothing worked."

"That is chilling," Schiff says. "We would like to ask Mr Meadows what he thought about that" pic.twitter.com/IgRyUzmoOu

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 14, 2021

Charlie Pierce at Esquire found a few other salient paragraphs in the report. This will give you the flavor of the whole thing. By no means are these the only thought provoking passages.

Mr. Meadows exchanged text messages with, and provided guidance to, an organizer of the January 6th rally on the Ellipse after the organizer told him that ‘‘[t]hings have gotten crazy and I desperately need some direction. Please.’’

Mr. Meadows sent an email to an individual about the events on January 6 and said that the National Guard would be present to ‘‘protect pro Trump people’’ and that many more would be available on standby.

Mr. Meadows received text messages and emails regarding apparent efforts to encourage Republican legislators in certain States to send alternate slates of electors to Congress, a plan which one Member of Congress acknowledged was ‘‘highly controversial’’ and to which Mr. Meadows responded, ‘‘I love it.’’ Mr. Meadows responded to a similar message by saying ‘‘[w]e are’’ and another such message by saying ‘‘Yes. Have a team on it.’’

Mr. Meadows forwarded claims of election fraud to the Acting leadership of DOJ for further investigation, some of which he may have received using a private email account and at least one of which he had received directly from people associated with Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign.

He also reportedly introduced Mr. Trump to then-DOJ official Jeffrey Clark. Mr. Clark went on to recommend to Mr. Trump that he be installed as Acting Attorney General and that DOJ should send a letter to State officials urging them to take certain actions that could affect the outcome of the November 2020 election by, among other things, appointing alternate slates of electors to cast electoral votes for Mr. Trump rather than now-President Biden.