By Kristen Holmes, Katelyn Polantz and Hannah Rabinowitz | CNN
Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, has testified to a federal grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s ongoing investigation into the former president, according to one source familiar with the matter.
It is not clear whether Meadows testified as part of the special counsel’s investigation into Trump’s potential mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House or his probe into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
George Terwilliger, a lawyer representing Meadows, said in a statement that “Without commenting on whether or not Mr. Meadows has testified before the grand jury or in any other proceeding, Mr. Meadows has maintained a commitment to tell the truth where he has a legal obligation to do so.”
A spokesperson for the special counsel’s office declined to comment.
The New York Times first reported on Meadow’s appearance before the grand jury.
Meadows is viewed as a critical witness to Smith’s investigation. He was ordered to testify before the grand jury and to provide documents after a judge rejected Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
His testimony could provide investigators key insight into the former president’s actions and mental state following the election he lost to Joe Biden as well as into Trump’s actions after he left office in January 2021.
CNN previously reported that Meadows, under subpoena, turned over some materials to the Justice Department as part of their investigation.
Multiple sources told CNN last week that Smith has focused on a meeting related to Meadows as part of his criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of documents. Two people working on the former chief of staff’s autobiography attended a meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, in July 2021 where Trump acknowledged he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, the sources…
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