Rep. Mark Meadows is seen with President Donald Trump in June 2017. (AP)
By Patrick Temple-West
CNNMoney
Rep. Mark Meadows is helping the House Select Committee on Intelligence determine whether the FBI broke the law during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Meadows spokesman Jon Stocker confirmed to CNNMoney Wednesday night.
Meadows met privately with the committee in a Washington hotel last week, the spokesman said. Meadows has spoken publicly since then on national TV, saying that the House Intelligence Committee may uncover “serious violations” of the law in its investigation.
The committee can’t question witnesses and rely on documents without a witness or any evidence of their testimony.
A source familiar with the matter said Meadows is cooperating with the panel by providing information about the allegations. The source declined to say what it is that Meadows is specifically citing in his statements.
Meadows, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” on Oct. 10 that he was worried the panel may never uncover the truth.
“I’m concerned that by the time we finally get to the finish line on this committee, it might be eight months out, or it might be an election that we’ve lost and many of us aren’t going to have that opportunity to voice our concerns to some inspector general. I’m concerned that the committee may find some serious violations of the law,” Meadows said.
The committee, led by GOP Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas, is conducting a months-long probe of the FBI and the Justice Department’s investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The House has begun interviewing key participants.
The committee subpoenaed Michael Horowitz, the former inspector general of the Justice Department, after Horowitz concluded in a highly critical report that the FBI used “unorthodox,” speculative, and potentially illegal methods to gather information about the Trump campaign.
The probe is not focused on that investigation but instead on whether the FBI broke the law. House Republicans say the FBI surveillance of Carter Page was perhaps illegal, and may have violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In his interview with CNN, Meadows appeared to be disputing Trump’s tweets on the subject. Trump has complained on Twitter about the “phony Russian Witch Hunt” and said the committee investigation “should focus on Crooked Hillary & her 33,000 deleted Emails, not possible illegal coordination between Russia and the Trump Campaign.”
“We all recognize that this is a politically polarized time. I get that. That’s why it is extremely important that we get to the bottom of this and make sure that the FISA Act and also some of the record-keeping is put in check,” he said.
A spokesman for Conaway did not respond to a request for comment on whether the committee has been able to interview witnesses since Meadows first talked about the panel’s plans.
A report on Horowitz’s investigation will likely be delivered to Congress in the next couple weeks, a source close to the House Intel committee said.
Meadows attended a White House meeting with President Trump on Monday where the president discussed the meeting of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Russia’s foreign minister.