Leaked Texts Reveal Sen. Mike Lee Pushed Sidney Powell to Help Overturn the Election — Until Her Disastrous Presser

Texts revealing the extent to which two Republican lawmakers went to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election, before abandoning the effort just before Jan. 6, were published by CNN on Friday.

The trove of text messages are between two Republicans — Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas — and Mark Meadows, who then served as Trump’s chief of staff, between November 2020 and January 2021. The messages were obtained by House select committee probing the Jan. 6 attack.

The messages show the extent to which Lee and Roy encouraged the Trump administration and campaign to push claims of election fraud and investigate allegations in several states.

On November 7, Lee complained to Meadows that Sidney Powell, the lawyer whose batty efforts to help Trump overturn the election soon became infamous, was being kept away from then-President Trump.

Per CNN:

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Sydney Powell is saying that she needs to get in to see the president, but she’s being kept away from him. Apparently she has a strategy to keep things alive and put several states back in play. Can you help her get in?

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
It was at the president’s request that Sydney has been working on a strategy and has been trying to get in to see him. But she’s being kept out.

In a text two days later, Lee said Powell told him Trump’s campaign lawyers were “obstructing progress.”

He called Powell a “straight shooter” and pushed Meadows to take legal action in disputing the election.

Then Powell held her press conference.

On November 19, Trump’s legal team of Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis held a press briefing laying out a series of absurd claims of a stolen election. The wild briefing was so over the top that it got Powell fired from Trump’s legal team.

It also prompted Lee to reconsider his support for Powell, and warn of legal consequences, in text messages to Meadows. Per CNN:

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I’m worried about the Powell press conference.

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
The potential defamation liability for the president is significant here

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
For the campaign and for the president personally

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Unless Powell can back up everything she said, which I kind of doubt she can

From Mark Meadows to Mike Lee
I agree. Very concerned

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
The temptation will be to do nothing for now.

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I’m not sure doing nothing is a good option

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Unless Powell can immediately substantiate what she said today, the president should probably disassociate himself and refute any claims that can’t be substantiated

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
He’s got deep pockets, and the accusations Powell made are very, very serious

From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
That is an especially bad combination when you consider the damages that could easily be claimed (and indeed proven) and the deep pockets involved.

Despite these efforts from Lee and Roy to help challenge the election, both lawmakers ended up rejecting the plan to block the certification of the 2020 election.

“If POTUS allows this to occur,” Roy texted Meadows on Jan. 1, “we’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic.”

On Jan. 6, as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Roy texted Meadows demanding the White House stop the violence.

From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
This is a sh*tshow

From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
Fix this now.

From Mark Meadows to Chip Roy
We are

Read the full CNN report here.