Texts show Rep. Greene’s actions surrounding Jan. 6
Text messages between 14th District Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows prior to and after Jan. 6, 2021, depict actions she claimed not to recall during a hearing last month.
The texts are a portion turned over by Meadows to the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Those messages coincide with many of the topics attorneys who filed the candidacy challenge questioned Greene about under oath.
To be clear, Greene has not been accused of wrongdoing in court or by the House committee investigating what led to the riot.
The challenge to her candidacy, filed by the nonprofit Free Speech for People, contends that Greene should be disqualified from holding public office. The accusation alleges she helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol which, the group contends, should constitutionally bar her from office.
A Georgia administrative law judge is reviewing arguments after the April 22 hearing.
During the hearing Greene largely denied having knowledge that the attack was going to happen, or of much else. She repeatedly claimed she did not recall events or statements during the hours long hearing.
The judge will turn over his recommendation to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who will make a decision on Greene’s eligibility.
The texts, first reported by CNN then confirmed by other news agencies, showed that Greene reached out to Meadows about objecting to the election certification on Jan 6. 2021.
“Good morning Mark, I’m here in DC. We have to get organized for the 6th. I would like to meet with Rudy Giuliani again,” Greene texted on Dec. 31, 2020. “We didn’t get to speak with him long. Also anyone who can help. We are getting a lot of members on board. And we need to lay out the best case for each state.”
That’s not particularly surprising because at that time, and later, Greene vocally pushed conspiracy theories about election fraud and even hosted an event in Rome on Broad Street in July 2021.
Her rhetoric, before and after the attack on the Capitol, has remained fiery and often conspiracy laden. However, the texts between her and Meadows reveal that Greene also sought to stop the attack as it unfolded.
“Mark I was just told there is an active shooter on the first floor of the Capitol Please tell the President to calm people This isn’t the way to solve anything,” Greene texted on Jan. 6, 2021, to Meadows. Again he didn’t reply to her message.
Despite that urging, she appears to change her tune and, texting Meadows again, begins to voice a conspiracy theory that the attackers were actually “Antifa” supporters in disguise.
“Mark, we don’t think these attackers are our people. We think they are Antifa. Dressed like Trump supporters,” she said.
The next day, she texted Meadows apologizing that her efforts to block the certification of the vote in Congress — including Georgia’s — failed.
“Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states. I’m sorry nothing worked. I don’t think that President Trump caused the attack on the Capitol. It’s not his fault. Absolutely no excuse and I fully denounce all of it, but after shut downs all year and a stolen election, people are saying
that they have no other choice.”
This time Meadows replied and thanked her.
One of the final texts appears to confirm the reasoning behind a specific question asked of her during the candidacy hearing.
On Jan. 17, 2021, she again messaged Meadows.
“In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for marshal law. I don’t know on
those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”
When asked under oath on April 22 if she had advocated for martial law directly to then-president Donald Trump or Meadows prior to Congress certifying his loss to President Joe Biden, Greene said “I don’t recall.”