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	~~{{MetaDescription\|Mark Meadows, Trump's White House Chief of Staff, was pardoned by Trump in November 2025 for 2020 election-related activities. State charges remain pending.}}~~


	{{Infobox Person		{{Infobox Person
	\|name = Mark Randall Meadows		\|name = Mark Randall Meadows
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			{{MetaDescription\|Mark Meadows, Trump's White House Chief of Staff, was pardoned by Trump in November 2025 for 2020 election-related activities. State charges remain pending.}}

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			\|description=Learn about Mark Meadows on Prisonpedia, the encyclopedia of the federal prison system.
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Maintenance script: Add profile for Trump pardon recipient

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{{MetaDescription|Mark Meadows, Trump's White House Chief of Staff, was pardoned by Trump in November 2025 for 2020 election-related activities. State charges remain pending.}}

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{{Infobox Person
|name = Mark Randall Meadows
|birth_date = July 28, 1959
|birth_place = Verdun, France
|charges = State charges: Racketeering (Georgia), Conspiracy, Fraud, Forgery (Arizona)
|sentence = Not yet tried
|status = Pardoned (federal), State charges pending
|conviction_date = N/A (state indictments pending)
|release_date = November 9, 2025 (pardoned)
}}

'''Mark Randall Meadows''' (born July 28, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 29th White House Chief of Staff under President Donald Trump from March 2020 to January 2021. Prior to that, he represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2020, where he was a founding member and chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In August 2023, Meadows was indicted in Georgia alongside 18 others for allegedly participating in a racketeering scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In April 2024, an Arizona grand jury indicted him on charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery related to the "false electors" scheme. President Trump granted Meadows a "full, complete, and unconditional" [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]] on November 9, 2025. However, the pardon applies only to federal crimes and has no effect on his pending state charges in Georgia and Arizona, as presidential pardons cannot cover state offenses.<ref name="npr">NPR, "Trump grants pardons to Giuliani, Meadows, others linked to 2020 election efforts," November 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604174/trump-pardons-2020-election</ref>

== Summary ==

Mark Meadows was one of President Trump's closest allies, serving as White House Chief of Staff during the tumultuous final year of Trump's first term, including the period surrounding the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath. After leaving the White House, Meadows became a central figure in multiple investigations into efforts to overturn the election results.

In December 2021, Meadows was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack—making him the first White House Chief of Staff to be held in contempt since Watergate and the first former member of Congress to receive that designation.

Meadows' legal troubles intensified when he was indicted in Georgia as part of a sweeping racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He was later indicted in Arizona for his alleged role in the "false electors" scheme. Both cases involve state charges that are unaffected by presidential pardons.

Trump's November 2025 pardon of Meadows was largely symbolic. Because Meadows was never charged federally for his election-related activities, the pardon has no practical legal effect. He continues to face state prosecution in Georgia and Arizona, where he has pleaded not guilty.

== Background ==

=== Early Life ===

Mark Randall Meadows was born on July 28, 1959, in Verdun, France, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Army and his mother worked as a nurse. He was raised in Florida in modest circumstances.<ref name="wiki">Wikipedia, "Mark Meadows," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Meadows</ref>

=== Education ===

Meadows earned an associate's degree from the University of South Florida.

=== Business Career ===

After moving to North Carolina in the mid-1980s after visiting the region on his honeymoon, Meadows started a restaurant and later founded a real estate development company in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

== Congressional Career ==

=== Election to Congress ===

Meadows first won election to Congress in 2012, representing North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the western part of the state. He was part of the Tea Party wave of conservative Republicans elected during the Obama era.<ref name="rollcall">Roll Call, "Mark Meadows: A Brief Biography," July 2015, https://rollcall.com/2015/07/28/mark-meadows-a-brief-biography-2/</ref>

=== House Freedom Caucus ===

On January 26, 2015, Meadows helped co-found the House Freedom Caucus with several other conservative Republicans. The caucus became one of the most influential blocs in the Republican conference.

Meadows served as chairman of the Freedom Caucus from 2017 to 2019.

=== Challenge to Speaker Boehner ===

On July 28, 2015, Meadows filed a resolution to vote on removing John Boehner as House Speaker. While the resolution was unsuccessful, it contributed to pressure that led Boehner to resign three months later in favor of Paul Ryan.

=== 2013 Government Shutdown ===

Meadows played a prominent role in the 2013 federal government shutdown, which was triggered by conservative efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act.

== White House Chief of Staff ==

=== Appointment ===

On March 6, 2020, President Trump announced that Meadows would replace Mick Mulvaney as White House Chief of Staff. Meadows resigned from Congress on March 31, 2020, to assume the position.

He served as Chief of Staff through the end of Trump's first term, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, and the events of January 6, 2021.<ref name="pbs">PBS NewsHour, "What you need to know about Mark Meadows' 2020 election charges," August 2023, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-you-need-to-know-about-mark-meadows-2020-election-charges</ref>

=== Contempt of Congress ===

On December 14, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to hold Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. The vote was 222-208, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in favor.

Meadows was the first White House Chief of Staff to be held in contempt of Congress since the Watergate scandal and the first former member of Congress to receive that designation.

== Criminal Indictments ==

=== Georgia Indictment ===

On August 14, 2023, a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury indicted Meadows alongside 18 others, including former President Trump, under state racketeering laws. The indictment alleged that Meadows participated in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Meadows sought to have his case removed to federal court, arguing that his actions were taken in his official capacity as a federal official. A federal judge heard arguments on the motion but declined to move the case. Meadows pleaded not guilty.<ref name="cbs">CBS News, "Trump pardons Giuliani, Meadows, others allegedly involved in efforts to overturn 2020 election results," November 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pardons-dozens-overturn-2020-election-results-false-electors/</ref>

=== Arizona Indictment ===

On April 24, 2024, an Arizona grand jury indicted Meadows on felony charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery related to his alleged role in the "false electors" scheme to subvert Joe Biden's 2020 victory in the state. Meadows pleaded not guilty.

== Presidential Pardon ==

On November 9, 2025, President Trump granted Mark Meadows a "full, complete, and unconditional" pardon.<ref name="npr" />

=== Scope and Limitations ===

The pardon was part of a batch of 77 pardons issued to Trump allies connected to efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Others pardoned included Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and Boris Epshteyn.

However, the pardon is largely symbolic because:
* Meadows was never charged with any federal crimes related to the 2020 election
* Presidential pardons apply only to federal offenses
* His state-level charges in Georgia and Arizona remain in effect

As one political science expert noted: "He can get their back in terms of federal crimes, but state crimes, he can say it all day long, but it doesn't mean anything legally."

=== Continuing State Prosecution ===

Meadows continues to face prosecution in Georgia and Arizona. Both cases remain pending as of November 2025.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

{{FAQSection/Start}}

{{FAQ
|question = What did Mark Meadows do?
|answer = Meadows was indicted in Georgia and Arizona for his alleged role in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In Georgia, he was charged under racketeering laws alongside 18 others for allegedly participating in a scheme to subvert the election. In Arizona, he was charged with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery related to the "false electors" scheme.<ref name="pbs" />
}}

{{FAQ
|question = Was Mark Meadows pardoned?
|answer = Yes, President Trump granted Meadows a "full, complete, and unconditional" [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons|pardon]] on November 9, 2025. However, the pardon is largely symbolic because it applies only to federal crimes, and Meadows was never charged federally. His state indictments in Georgia and Arizona remain in effect.<ref name="npr" />
}}

{{FAQ
|question = Does the pardon clear Mark Meadows' charges?
|answer = No. Presidential pardons apply only to federal offenses. Since Meadows' pending charges in Georgia and Arizona are state-level charges, Trump's pardon has no legal effect on those cases. Meadows pleaded not guilty in both states and continues to face prosecution.<ref name="cbs" />
}}

{{FAQ
|question = Who is Mark Meadows?
|answer = Meadows served as the 29th White House Chief of Staff under President Trump from March 2020 to January 2021. Before that, he represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district from 2013 to 2020 and was a founding member and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. He was held in contempt of Congress in December 2021.<ref name="wiki" />
}}

{{FAQ
|question = What is the Georgia election case against Mark Meadows?
|answer = In August 2023, a Georgia grand jury indicted Meadows and 18 others under state racketeering laws for allegedly participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Meadows unsuccessfully sought to move his case to federal court. He pleaded not guilty and the case remains pending.<ref name="pbs" />
}}

{{FAQSection/End}}

== See also ==

* [[Presidential Clemency and Pardons]]
* [[Sidney Powell]]

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders]]
[[Category:Pardoned]]
[[Category:Politicians]]

Mark Meadows - Revision history

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