Democrats object to Meadows passing note to Jordan from dais

Democratic staff on the House Judiciary Committee objected Thursday after Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) went on the dais to pass along a note to one of the GOP members participating in the panel’s markup of impeachment articles for President Trump.

Staff to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) pushed back against Meadows — who is not a member on the Judiciary — standing behind the dais after he sought to pass a note to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a close ally of Trump. The back and forth, which lasted a few minutes, appeared to get heated.

@RepMarkMeadows who is not on Judiciary is behind the panel members talking with Dem staff passionately, but unclear what this about. pic.twitter.com/pzpCDZQfJv

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) December 12, 2019

Meadows claimed that the Democrats were “afraid I was coaching some of the Republicans,” calling such an idea “ridiculous.” 

“I was passing a message to Mr. Jordan and the Democrats objected to me being behind the dais,” Meadows told The Hill.

The North Carolina Republican said he responded by asking the staffers to show him a rule that says he is not allowed to be behind the dais.

“I told him that I know the rules better than they do and if they showed me a rule then I would leave,” Meadows said, noting that there isn’t such a rule. “I could remain as long as I wanted.”

While no rule may exist, a Democratic committee aide challenged that Meadows going behind the dais broke with long-standing practices of the committee.

“The long-standing practice of the Committee, under chairmen of both parties, is that only Committee members are allowed on the dais,” the committee aide said. “Mr. Meadows knows this, in part because he is the only Member in recent memory who has needed multiple reminders on this point.”

The small clash came amid an hours-long debate by the Judiciary Committee over the two articles of impeachment Democrats introduced against Trump this week, which charge him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Democrats allege Trump used a White House meeting and nearly $400 million in U.S. aid to Kyiv as leverage to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open two investigations that would benefit him politically, including one into the son of his 2020 political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

They say such conduct rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors and that leaving a lawless president in office presents a threat to the country and its interests.

The president and Republicans have denied accusations of a quid pro quo and other claims of wrongdoing, instead alleging that Democrats are seeking to remove Trump from office because they cannot beat him at the ballot box.

The two articles are likely to pass along party lines after hours of debate.