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The House select committee investigating the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol has informed former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that they will begin the process to charge him with contempt of Congress.
Meadows initially indicated he would work with the committee, but on Tuesday (December 7), he informed them he would not be sitting down for a deposition.
Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson informed Meadows the committee will be referring him for criminal prosecution.
"The Select Committee is left with no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution," Thompson wrote in a letter to Meadows's attorney.
Thompson cited several documents that Meadows turned over before he decided to stop cooperating, which raise questions the committee members want to be answered.
"All of those documents raise issues about which the Select Committee would like to question Mr. Meadows and about which you appear to agree are not subject to a claim of privilege. Yet, despite your recent agreement to have Mr. Meadows to come in and answer questions in a deposition, Mr. Meadows now, once again, refuses to do so," the letter said.
The committee could send a recommendation to prosecute Meadows to the Justice Department as early as Friday.
Meadows is the second person who has refused to cooperate with the committee, joining Steve Bannon, who was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress.