The Democratic-controlled House has voted to hold Trump’s final chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to testify to the panel investigating the Capitol riot
, only to back out last week after turning over material from a personal email account.
Expectations are low that the Jan. 6 commission will be much more than a setting for a partisan food fight. But as WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib explains, even partisan food fights can bring to the surface important information, as might ongoing court cases. Photo illustration: Todd Johnsoncharged by federal prosecutors“Obviously it’s disappointing but not surprising,” Mr. Meadows told television host Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday. “This is not about holding me in contempt,” he said.
In another text, Fox News host Laura Ingraham wrote to Mr. Meadows: “The president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.” A text from Donald Trump Jr. to Mr. Meadows read: “He’s got to condemn this shit asap.” Mr. Meadows responded: “I’m pushing it hard, I agree.”PREVIEWMr.
Mr. Meadows has “maintained consistently that as a former chief of staff he cannot be compelled to appear for questioning and that he as a witness is not licensed to waive executive privilege claimed by the former president,” said Mr. Terwilliger.