US House Jan 6 committee recommends contempt charges against ex-White House chief of staff

The panel sent a criminal contempt of Congress referral to the full House, as the extent of Mark Meadows's role in President Trump's efforts to overturn the election became clearer, reported The New York Times.

From a trove of about 9,000 documents that Meadows turned over before halting his cooperation with the inquiry, a clearer picture has emerged about the extent of his involvement in Trump's attempts to use the government to invalidate the election results.

The documents also shed light on his knowledge and guidance of a plan by right-wing lawmakers to try to use Congress to overturn the election, and how he coordinated with organizers of the rally in Washington that culminated in the deadly riot at the Capitol on January 6, reported The New York Times.

According to dozens of text messages that members of the panel read aloud on Monday, Meadows fielded requests from terrified lawmakers and even members of Trump's family begging for Trump to call off the rioters on January 6, and Meadows told people that day that he was trying to persuade the president to do so.

The committee voted 9 to 0 to recommend that Meadows be charged with criminal contempt of Congress for defying its subpoena, after Meadows shifted from partially participating in the inquiry to waging a full-blown legal fight against the panel, in line with Trump's directive to stonewall the investigation, reported The New York Times.

Contempt of Congress charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. The panel's recommendation would send the matter to the full House, which could vote as early as Tuesday to refer the charge to the Justice Department. (ANI)