Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who was once tapped as a possibility to serve on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, was one of the Congress members who texted former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows the day before the insurrection, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Originally attributed by the January 6 committee only to an unnamed "lawmaker," Jordan's office confirmed in a statement that he had sent at least one text to Meadows, the former top aide to ex-President Donald Trump who was charged with obstruction of Congress on Tuesday.
The text was not an original composition by Jordan, according to the statement, but was a forwarded message containing a legal argument from former Pentagon Inspector General Joseph Schmitz.
"Mr. Jordan forwarded the text to Mr. Meadows, and Mr. Meadows certainly knew it was a forward," said Jordan's spokesperson, Russell Dye.
The text outlined a supposed doctrine arguing that former Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to disregard the certification of electoral votes that he "believed" were unconstitutional. Pence himself has stated that his position as vice president gave him no such authority.
"On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all the electoral votes that he 'believes' are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all - in accordance with guidance from founder father Alexander Hamilton and judicial precedence," the first portion of the text read.
The remaining part of the text referenced a quote that Hamilton had written in his Federalist Papers that stated legislative acts contrary to the Constitution were invalid.
NEW: Rep. Jim Jordan's office is confirming he sent this text (left) to Mark Meadows.
The Jan. 6 commitee revealed half of this longer message (right), which was a forwarded legal argument by former Pentagon IG Joseph Schmitz.https://t.co/iXTFU8Q0NThttps://t.co/iXTFU8Q0NT pic.twitter.com/HJZaRHj9lN — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 15, 2021
The text was another example of the pressure that GOP politicians attempted to put on Pence in the months following the election, despite the former vice president having no power to overturn the election.
Meadows would also receive a number of text messages the next day as the insurrection unfolded. This included messages from politicians and conservative media personalities that urged Meadows to implore Trump to call off the rioters.
In the aftermath of the insurrection, Jordan was among the GOP politicians who were tapped as potential January 6 committee members by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Ultimately, the idea was shot down by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Jordan was not selected for the panel.
On Wednesday, some expressed anger that McCarthy put forward Jordan's name given that he had sent a text urging Pence to overturn the election results just a day prior to the Capitol attack.
"Did Kevin McCarthy know about Jordan's activities to overthrow the election when he tried to put him on the committee investigating all this?" tweeted journalist Elizabeth Vargas.
Does anyone still think Jim Jordan should have served on the Jan 6 committee? Did Kevin McCarthy know about Jordan’s activities to overthrow the election when he tried to put him on the committee investigating all this? — Elizabeth Vargas (@EVargasTV) December 15, 2021
Liberal SuperPAC MeidasTouch also expressed concern that Jordan could have potentially served on the committee. "REMINDER: Republicans wanted Jim Jordan to be on the January committee," the SuperPAC tweeted.
REMINDER: Republicans wanted Jim Jordan to be on the January 6 committee. — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) December 15, 2021
MeidasTouch also retweeted an interview with Jordan from July in which the congressman appeared to deflect when asked if he had talked to former President Trump on January 6.
Jim Jordan tried to dodge a question about when he talked to Trump on January 6 and it did not go well pic.twitter.com/bK02MdMCdp — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 29, 2021
Jordan was also known for sowing doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. He reportedly met with Trump, along with a small group of GOP lawmakers, in December 2020 to try to outline a plan to decertify the election.
Newsweek has reached out to Jordan's office for comment.
PaulClifford on December 16th, 2021 at 02:49 UTC »
When you view the end of term Pentagon packing in context, it gives the treason PowerPoint legs: everything was planned in advance. It wasn’t some theoretical exercise. They had a plan, implemented it, and, like all cowards in the end, tried to get someone else (Pence) to give the coup-de-grace. Treason.
MuthaPlucka on December 16th, 2021 at 02:16 UTC »
The GQP leadership knowingly tried to poison the January 6 committee.
Nailbender72 on December 16th, 2021 at 02:10 UTC »
He belongs in jail