No voter fraud charges for Mark Meadows, North Carolina DOJ says

© Provided by Axios Sneak Peek

The North Carolina Department of Justice announced Friday that they won't pursue charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Driving the news: The department said there is not sufficient evidence to bring voter fraud charges against Meadows and his wife, Debra Meadows, over the 2020 election.

Context: The investigation arose after the New Yorker reported that Meadows, also a former U.S. congressman, registered to vote in September 2020 using an address he allegedly never visited.

Details: The probe found that Meadows was engaged in public service in Washington, DC, and therefore qualified for a residency exception.

• It also found that he and his wife signed a year-long lease for the North Carolina residence and that cell phone records showed Meadows was in and around the area in October 2020, per the state DOJ.

What they're saying: "Mr. Meadows has made numerous unfounded, damaging allegations about voter fraud both before and after the 2020 election," Attorney General Josh Stein said in a statement.

• The attorney general also noted that the Jan. 6 select committee named Meadows as a co-conspirator in the insurrection, and that the federal prosecutor should hold accountable those involved.
• "None of the matters involving January 6th, however, are relevant to the specific allegations of voter fraud," Stein said, adding that if further information comes along, "we reserve the right to reopen this matter."

Of note: Meadows was ordered to testify before a Georgia grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

• He'd sought to avoid testifying after the grand jury issued subpoenas, arguing that he can't be compelled to testify since the special grand jury is not a criminal probe.