Capitol attack: Panel seeks contempt action against former Trump aide

WASHINGTON • The committee investigating the Jan 6 insurrection at the US Capitol has voted unanimously to recommend that the US House hold Mr Donald Trump's last White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to testify.

The 9-0 recommendation on Monday night and a report justifying the action now go to the full House for a floor vote.

"The Select Committee's report referring Mr Meadows for criminal contempt charges is clear and compelling," Representative Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Select Committee on the Jan 6 clashes, said before the vote.

"As White House chief of staff, Mr Meadows played a role in or was witness to key events leading up to and including the Jan 6 assault on the United States Capitol."

Ms Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and the committee's vice-chair, said text messages provided by Mr Meadows leave "no doubt" that the White House knew what was happening as the assault unfolded.

"As the violence continued", she added, Mr Donald Trump Jr texted Mr Meadows, saying about his father, "He's got to condemn this" and "It has gone too far".

Mr Meadows responded that he agreed, Ms Cheney said, but "still, President Trump did not immediately act".

The panel's contempt case against Mr Meadows is outlined in a 51-page report and resolution that includes new details of activities and comments by former president Trump, Mr Meadows and others - revealed in some of the thousands of e-mails and text messages that Mr Meadows has already turned over, as well as other material, said the panel.

In his remarks on Monday evening, Mr Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said Mr Meadows, after agreeing to cooperate with the inquiry, "changed his mind and told us to pound sand".

"This happened the same day his book was published," Mr Thompson added. "The same book that goes into detail about matters the Select Committee is reviewing.

"It also details conversations he had with president Trump and others - conversations we want to hear more about."

Mr Meadows is the second Trump ally recommended for contempt. Mr Steve Bannon, a strategist in the Trump White House who also helped run the 2016 presidential campaign, is set to go on trial in July next year on criminal contempt charges over his refusal to cooperate with the probe.

Mr Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official and Trump adviser, also faces potential House contempt action.

Although the committee did not release the e-mails and texts Mr Meadows provided, it does point to some of the contents in laying out what it wanted to ask Mr Meadows.

That includes his direct knowledge of Mr Trump's actions and communications with members of Congress "before, during, and after the attack" on the Capitol.

One item of interest is an e-mail Mr Meadows sent to an individual about the events on Jan 6 that said the National Guard would be present to "protect pro-Trump people" and that many more "would be available on standby".

The National Guard response on Jan 6 has been a major focus of congressional inquiries.

The committee report also states that Mr Meadows received text messages and e-mails "regarding apparent efforts to encourage Republican legislators in certain states to send alternate slates of electors to Congress, a plan which one member of Congress acknowledged was 'highly controversial' and to which Mr Meadows responded, 'I love it'."

BLOOMBERG