What it means for Trump: While he’s been privately prodding his former chief of staff to finally testify in front of the House Oversight Committee , it’s not clear what else he could be asked about that could result in criminal charges. The White House has privately admitted that its hands are tied on the matter because Trump has invoked executive privilege to prevent Meadows from turning over any more documents.
Meadows was in regular contact with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. before the 2016 election, according to documents released by the Justice Department Thursday. Meadows reportedly advised Trump Jr. on two federal investigations, both in Russia: one is related to the Uranium One probe, and another, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, is into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Meadows, who resigned from his position as chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus in April, first became famous for spearheading the 2016 presidential campaign, when then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump endorsed his plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Since leaving the Trump administration, Meadows has worked as a paid lobbyist for the conservative healthcare company Hiltzik Strategies and a global law firm, King & Spalding.