A Democratic lawmaker called Jim Jordan a 'traitor' over his text to Mark Meadows that outlined a legal theory of how Mike Pence could challenge the 2020 election results

• Rep. Ruben Gallego on Wednesday called Rep. Jim Jordan a traitor.
• Gallego's comments came after Jordan confirmed that he sent a text to Mark Meadows on January 5.

Rep. Ruben Gallego lambasted Rep. Jim Jordan in a Wednesday-evening interview after the Republican congressman confirmed that he sent a text to the former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on January 5 that said Vice President Mike Pence "should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all."

In an appearance on MSNBC, Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, called Jordan a traitor.

"He's a traitor to the Constitution of the United States. He has been a traitor to the Constitution of the United States for quite a while. And now we actually have it in text," Gallego said. "But we shouldn't be surprised, and why is anybody surprised?"

The text that the Ohio lawmaker sent to Meadows on January 5 was a forwarded message from Joseph Schmitz, a conservative lawyer and former inspector general at the Defense Department, Jordan's office confirmed to Politico earlier on Wednesday.

—Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) December 16, 2021

The House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot disclosed the text on Monday evening as part of its probe, but it did not disclose who the sender was. Jordan's office confirmed on Wednesday that he sent the message to Meadows. It added that its full text was omitted from the committee's presentation.

The text message released by the January 6 committee said, "On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all."

Jordan's office said the full text message read: "On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all — in accordance with guidance from founding father Alexander Hamilton and judicial precedence. 'No legislative act,' wrote Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78, 'contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.' The court in Hubbard v. Lowe reinforced this truth: 'That an unconstitutional statute is not a law at all is a proposition no longer open to discussion.' 226 F. 135, 137 (SDNY 1915), appeal dismissed, 242 U.S. 654 (1916)."

Jordan appeared on Fox News on Wednesday night and criticized the January 6 committee. He said it altered documents in a "quest to go after Mark Meadows and President Trump."

"It is sickening," Jordan told host Sean Hannity.

The committee acknowledged that it shortened the text before making it public, NBC News reported. "The Select Committee is responsible for and regrets the error," a committee spokesperson told the outlet.

On January 6, when Congress met to certify Joe Biden's 2020 election win, Jordan, a staunch ally to Trump, was among the 147 Republicans who voted to object to the results.

When the January 6 committee was being formed in July, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tapped Jordan to serve on the panel. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected McCarthy's recommendation. She said she couldn't let Jordan take part in the investigation because of "concern about statements made and actions taken" by him, a statement from her office said.

Since then, Jordan has mocked the bipartisan panel, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans — Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

Jordan's office did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.