GOP Congressman Wanted Trump to Invoke ‘Marshall Law’ to Stay in Office: Leaked Texts - Rolling Stone

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was forced to manus implicit 2,319 substance messages to the House prime committee investigating the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol. The trove of substance messages were obtained by Talking Points Memo, which connected Monday reported connected the grade to which Meadows was communicating with members of Congress astir overturning the 2020 election.

While CNN antecedently reported that Meadows was kept informed of efforts to seize voting machines and other schemes to overturn President Biden’s win by Trump allies successful contested states, the TPM study identifies a startling connection from Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) to Meadows, sent connected Jan. 17, 2021, conscionable 3 days earlier Joe Biden was scheduled to instrumentality office.

In the text, Norman appears to suggest that then-President Trump enforce martial instrumentality — or, arsenic Norman enactment it, “Marshall Law” — during his last hours of bureau to overturn the predetermination successful his favor.

“Mark, successful seeing what’s happening truthful quickly, and speechmaking astir the Dominion instrumentality suits attempting to halt immoderate meaningful probe we are astatine a constituent of � nary instrumentality � successful redeeming our Republic !! Our LAST HOPE is invoking Marshall Law!! PLEASE URGE TO PRESIDENT TO DO SO!!” Norman wrote.

The bid besides shows that Meadows was astatine the halfway of hundreds of incoming discussions among 34 members of Congress astir plans to assistance Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 predetermination results.

Several members of Congress were besides identified arsenic starring players successful the effort to undo Trump’s nonaccomplishment and messaged Meadows astir plans to situation the predetermination results including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.).

Rep. Brooks texted Meadows connected Dec. 21, 2020, referring to plans to clasp a “White House gathering regarding formulation of our January 6 strategies.” Soon after, Meadows messaged Fox News property Brian Kilmeade, confirming the gathering happened.

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“The President and I met with astir 15 members of Congress to sermon the grounds of elector fraud successful assorted states arsenic good arsenic sermon the strategy for making the lawsuit to the American people,” Meadows wrote to Kilmeade aboriginal that day. 

Among those members identified by the Jan. 6 committee arsenic having participated successful the gathering were Reps. Jordan, Brian Babin (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and then-Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Prior to the midterms, Rep. Greene faced a ineligible situation to disqualify her from moving for Congress owed to her alleged relation connected Jan 6.

“Good greeting Mark, I’m present successful DC. We person to get organized for the 6th,” Greene wrote to Meadows connected Dec. 31, CNN reported. “I would similar to conscionable with Rudy Giuliani again. We didn’t get to talk with him long. Also anyone who tin help. We are getting a batch of members connected board. And we request to laic retired the champion lawsuit for each state.”

By Jan. 17, Greene told Meadows that respective Republicans successful Congress wanted Trump to state martial law. She, too, appeared to deliberation giving powerfulness to the subject was named aft a idiosyncratic named Marshall. “In our backstage chat with lone Members, respective are saying the lone mode to prevention our Republic is for Trump to telephone for Marshall law,” Green wrote. “I don’t cognize connected those things. I conscionable wanted you to archer him. They stole this election. We each know. They volition destruct our state next. Please archer him to declassify arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable truthful we tin spell aft Biden and anyone else!”

More recently, Greene told the New York Post‘s Zach Williams that if she and Steve Bannon had organized the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol, they would person executed a palmy coup, and would person “been armed.”

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As antecedently reported by Rolling Stone, organizers of the Jan. 6 riots successful Washington, D.C., said they participated successful “dozens” of readying meetings with White House unit and members of Trump’s team, including Meadows. “Meadows was 100 percent made alert of what was going on,” said an organizer. “He’s besides similar a regular fig successful these truly tiny groups of nationalist organizers.”