Washington The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol has issued a resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, in contempt of Congress.
The resolution comes after the panel informed Meadows last week that it has “no choice” but to advance criminal contempt proceedings against him given that he has decided to no longer cooperate.
“The Select Committee is left with no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution,” committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, wrote in a letter dated December 7.
In response, Meadows filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and select committee members, asking a federal court to block enforcement of the subpoena the committee issued him as well as the subpoena it issued to Verizon for his phone records.
Meadows alleges that the subpoenas are “overly broad and unduly burdensome,” while claiming that the committee “lacks lawful authority to seek and to obtain” the information requested.
Still, prior to Meadows’ decision to halt cooperation with the committee, he had turned over approximately 6,000 pages worth of documents. That includes information from his personal email account and personal cell phone that are relevant to the committee’s investigation.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
