1/ #Jan6thCommittee votes to hold @MarkMeadows in contempt. This is the right decision, but commentators saying that Meadows has a stronger case for ExecPriv than Bannon are wrong. Both have ZERO basis for claiming privilege. Here's why - and it's worth reading the full thread.
2/ There are many reasons why neither Bannon or Meadows has a legitimate ExecPriv claim. 1st, ExecPriv only covers convesations with the president about the job of the president. Planning a coup and overturning the results of an election are not part of the job of any president.
3/ That alone ends the issue, but there's more. 2nd, SCOTUS' #Watergate decision giving my team President Nixon's tapes also made clear that even where conversations are about policy and privileged, ExecPriv gives way to overriding national interests like those involved here.
4/ So here, even if there was a legitimate underlying privilege claim (which there isn't), it would fall because of the overwhelming national interest in learning what happened and what legislation is needed to prevent it from ever happening again.
5/ 3rd, here privilege is claimed by the ex-president, not the current president. Only the current president can assert the privilege and @Potus has waived it. He heard the ex-president's arguments & decided that the documents & testimony are necessary in the national interests.
6/ 4th, @MarkMeadows himself waived EP on the topics the #Jan6thCommittee wants answers. He gave documents to Cmtee, wrote a book & appeared on Fox talking about the subjects at issue. By giving the documents, he admitted that they cover subjects that are not privileged.
7/ Recent DC Court of Appeals decision confirms all this by ruling Trump himself has no privilege for his documents where @Potus has waived privilege. THe former president cannot keep his documents from the Committee or prevent his former aides from testifying.
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