Republican members of Congress appear to have conspired with former President Donald Trump 's administration in efforts to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden 's 2020 election victory, according to text messages revealed by the House Select Committee investigating January 6.
The select committee released texts from as-yet unnamed lawmakers to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Monday before the panel voted unanimously to recommend contempt charges against him .
Those messages appear to show the lawmakers supporting a plan to object to the certification of Electoral College votes on January 6 where then Vice President Mike Pence would have played a key role.
One member of Congress sent a text to Meadows before January 6 urging Pence to reject some Electoral College votes.
"On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate , should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all," the lawmaker wrote.
In a text read out on Monday by Democratic Representative Adam Schiff , a member of Congress apologized to Meadows for the failure of objections to the certification of the election.
"Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states. I'm sorry nothing worked," the lawmaker wrote after the events of January 6.
Following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, Congress proceeded to certify the results of the election and then Vice President Pence carried out his largely ceremonial role, refusing to throw out Electoral College votes.
However, 147 Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate voted to sustain objections to Electoral College votes from Arizona, Pennsylvania, or both.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have continued to make unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and other irregularities in the 2020 election.
Trump has also repeatedly criticized Pence for his role in the certification and argued that the former vice president should have done more to support objections to the Electoral College votes in question.
The House Select Committee also revealed text messages Meadows received on January 6 from Donald Trump Jr. and some Fox News personalities urging action to end the Capitol riot.
Trump Jr. wrote to Meadows: "He's got to condemn this shit ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough" and Meadows agreed, replying: "I'm pushing it hard. I agree."
Fox News' Laura Ingraham texted: "Hey Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home ... this is hurting all of us ... he is destroying his legacy."
"Can he make a statement? ... Ask people to leave the Capitol," Fox News' Sean Hannity texted Meadows.
Republican Representative Liz Cheney , who is vice chair of the House Select Committee, read out a number of other text messages Meadows had received during the hearing on Monday.
"Mr. Meadows received numerous text messages, which he has produced without any privilege claim – imploring that Mr. Trump take the specific action we all knew his duty required. These text messages leave no doubt. The White House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol. Members of Congress, the press, and others wrote to Mark Meadows as the attack was underway," Cheney said.
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