Mark Meadows Held in Contempt by House Committee
Subpoena Refusal Leads to Criminal Referral
A House committee has voted to hold Mark Meadows, former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to the January 6th Capitol riot. The committee voted 6-0 to refer the case to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution.
Meadows was subpoenaed by the committee in September 2021 to provide documents and testimony about his involvement in the events leading up to and on January 6th. He initially agreed to cooperate with the investigation but later changed his mind, citing executive privilege.
"Mr. Meadows has refused to provide the Select Committee with any information," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the committee. "He has declined to produce records or testify under oath. His actions are a clear violation of the law and a threat to our democracy."
If Meadows is convicted of contempt, he could face a fine and up to one year in prison. The Justice Department will now review the committee's referral and decide whether to pursue charges.
This is the first time that Congress has held a former White House chief of staff in contempt of Congress. The contempt vote is a significant escalation in the committee's investigation and could lead to further charges against Meadows and other Trump associates.
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