House Votes to Recommend Mark Meadows Be Charged with Criminal Contempt

The House voted 222-208 on Tuesday night to recommend that former Trump chief-of-staff Mark Meadows be charged with criminal contempt of Congress.

The measure comes after Meadows, a former congreesman, refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. Meadows turned over a trove documents and correspondence, but he has refused to appear before the committee. That committee voted 9-0 on Monday night to send the contempt referral to the House floor.

Ahead of the committee’s vote, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) read text messages from Fox News hosts and Donald Trump Jr. pleading with the Meadows to get the president to act as the riot raged on.

On January 6th, supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as lawmakers were inside certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. The rioters believed Trump’s lies about the election being stolen from him.

“Can he make a statement?” Sean Hannity texted Meadows on January 6th as Trump supporters ran amok inside the Capitol. “Ask people to leave the Capitol.”

“Mark, the President needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home, Laura Ingraham texted Meadows. “He is destroying his legacy.”

“Please get him on TV,” texted Brian Kilmeade. “Destroying everything you have accomplished.”

Trump Jr. also texted the chief-of-staff, saying, “He’s got to condemn this shit ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.”

“I’m pushing it hard,” Meadows responded to Trump Jr., “I agree.”

The referral now goes to the Department of Justice, which will make a determination on whether to charge Meadows. The DOJ has already charged Steve Bannon with criminal contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the 1/6 committee.