Meadows seeks reimbursement from DOJ for legal fees from Trump-related probes

Politics Ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows seeks reimbursement from DOJ for legal fees incurred in Trump-related probes By Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch April 14, 2026 / 9:36 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is asking the Justice Department to reimburse him for legal fees he incurred in multiple federal and state investigations into President Trump, according to sources with direct knowledge of the request.The request comes at the same time the Justice Department is also fielding a variety of different requests for payouts from Mr. Trump himself, as well as claims from a number of pardoned Jan. 6 rioters seeking damages for injuries they allege they suffered at the hands of Capitol Police.Mr. Trump and his two sons sued the IRS earlier this year seeking $10 billion in connection with the leak of his tax returns, and his lawyers have separately sought $230 million from the Justice Department in two administrative claims. In 2024, an Internal Revenue Service contractor, Charles Littlejohn, was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking Mr. Trump's federal tax records, as well as those of his oldest sons and the Trump Organization, to The New York Times in 2020.Meadows was a key supporter of Mr. Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election after his loss to Joe Biden. He was never charged in connection with special counsel Jack Smith's indictment against Mr. Trump over the 2020 election interference case, but he was criminally charged in parallel state cases in Georgia and Arizona.In November, Mr. Trump pardoned Meadows and others who supported his bid to overturn the election. The state prosecutor in Georgia dropped the charges against Meadows, Mr. Trump and others shortly thereafter.Meadows still faces legal uncertainty in Arizona, where...