The House select committee investigating the 6 January Capitol riots has recommended prosecuting ex-president Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Mr Meadows has refused to testify about the 6 January insurrection, and is therefore obstructing the investigation, the select committee said in its contempt report.
Bennie Thompson, the chair of the select committee, said in an opening statement: “It comes down to this. Mr Meadows started by doing the right thing: cooperating. He handed over records that he didn’t try to shield behind some excuse. But in an investigation like ours, that’s just a first step.”
He added: “When the records raise questions – as these most certainly do – you have to come in and answer those questions. And when it was time for him to follow the law, come in, and testify on those questions, he changed his mind and told us to pound sand. He didn’t even show up.”
On Monday, the committee voted to advance referring Mr Meadows to the Department of Justice on criminal contempt of Congress charges.
The House will need to vote next.
The members of the committee also revealed texts between Mr Meadows and Donald Trump’s son, Fox News personalities and lawmaker on 6 January, urging him to get the then-President to stop the riots in real-time.
