Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team has alleged that former President Donald Trump threatened his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, after reports emerged that Meadows had been granted immunity in the ongoing federal criminal case against Trump. The case centers on Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
A recent ABC News report revealed that Meadows had informed investigators of his repeated warnings to Trump, highlighting the unsubstantiated nature of the former president’s claims that the 2020 presidential election had been “rigged” and “stolen.” Meadows was granted immunity to provide testimony before a Washington federal grand jury earlier this year, prior to Trump’s indictment.
In response to the report, Trump took to social media to criticize Meadows for accepting immunity from prosecutors. He referred to Meadows as a “weakling” and a “coward.” Smith’s legal team viewed Trump’s statement as a potential threat to a foreseeable witness in the ongoing case, prompting them to advocate for a limited gag order to prevent Trump from intimidating individuals connected to the proceedings.
The legal team argued that Trump’s actions were aimed at “using external influences to distort the trial in his favor,” which they contended posed a grave threat to the principles of a fair trial based on facts and the law, particularly when directed at witnesses and participants in the trial.
Trump later disputed the accuracy of the ABC News report on social media. He stated that Meadows had never conveyed to him that allegations of significant fraud concerning the 2020 election were baseless, and he also questioned the absence of such claims in Meadows’ book.
Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, responded to the ABC News report by asserting that he had informed the news outlet of inaccuracies in their story. The report, titled “Ex-Chief of Staff granted immunity, tells special counsel he warned Trump about 2020 claims: Sources,” has prompted concerns regarding the accuracy of the information presented.
NEW: “I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway.” George Terwilliger, Mark Meadows lawyer, to CBS News, responding to new reporting “Ex-Chief of Staff granted immunity, tells special counsel he…
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) October 24, 2023
