Trump's former chief of staff lawyers up ahead of Capitol riot committee testimony: report

Former Donald Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows has retained a top Republican attorney to represent him before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO that George Terwilliger, the deputy attorney general during the George H. W. Bush administration, is representing Meadows for the select committee's inquiry into the Capitol attack. Terwilliger confirmed that he represents Meadows, who did not respond to a request for comment," the publication reported Wednesday.

The committee subpoenaed Meadows in September.

"Terwilliger's representation of Meadows, which has not been previously reported, signals that the former White House chief of staff is taking the select panel's probe very seriously. The hiring also signals that Washington's tight-knit conservative legal community is paying close attention to the issues the House investigation touches on –– including executive privilege," the report noted. "Over the years Terwilliger has worked on a host of politically charged legal fights, including on George W. Bush's legal team during the 2000 Florida recount and representing Bush-era attorney general Alberto Gonzales in the wake of the U.S. attorneys scandal."

The committee said it was focused on the entire post-election period, not just the day of January 6th, in investigating Meadows.

"While serving as White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows reportedly communicated with officials at the state level and in the Department of Justice as part of an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election or prevent the election's certification. According to other reporting, Mr. Meadows was also in communication with organizers of the January 6 rally, including Amy Kremer of Women for America First. The Select Committee has previously sought White House records dealing with Mr. Meadows, including his actions and communications and information he received dealing with the results and integrity of the 2020 election," the committee explained.