The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Captiol riot warned former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows it is prepared to recommend criminal contempt charges against him should he not appear for his scheduled deposition on Wednesday, Insider reports.
Earlier Tuesday, Meadows abrupty ceased cooperation with the committee because it has "no intention of respecting boundaries" related to former President Donald Trump's claims of executive privilege regarding the insurrection, Meadows' lawyer said. The ex-official's appearance before the committee has therefore become "untenable," per the lawyer.
However, should Meadows truly decide not to appear for the deposition — which "will go forward as planned" — the panel "will be left no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution," reads a statement from panel Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Just last week Thompson announced Meadows had been "engaging with the select committee through his attorney." "He has produced records to the committee and will soon appear for an initial deposition," the chairman added.
Meadows is the third Trump ally that the committee "has advanced or is prepared to advance contempt proceedings against," notes Insider. Last month, the Justice Department indicted Trump ally Steve Bannon on contempt charges following a referral from Congress; and last week, the panel recommended criminal contempt charges against Jeffrey Clark, a former Trump DOJ official.
-
Political cartoons for October 26Cartoons Sunday’s editorial cartoons include Young Republicans group chat, Louvre robbery, and more
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
