WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Tuesday declared he’s no longer cooperating with a House committee’s investigation into the January 6 riot.
January 6th Committee leaders Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) responded with the following statement, threatening contempt proceedings if Meadows is a no-show at a scheduled deposition:
“Mark Meadows has informed the Select Committee that he does not intend to cooperate further with our investigation despite his apparent willingness to provide details about the facts and circumstances surrounding the January 6th attack, including conversations with President Trump, in the book he is now promoting and selling.
“Even as we litigate privilege issues, the Select Committee has numerous questions for Mr. Meadows about records he has turned over to the Committee with no claim of privilege, which include real-time communications with many individuals as the events of January 6th unfolded. We also need to hear from him about voluminous official records stored in his personal phone and email accounts, which were required to be turned over to the National Archives in accordance with the Presidential Records Act.
“Tomorrow’s deposition, which was scheduled at Mr. Meadows’s request, will go forward as planned. If indeed Mr. Meadows refuses to appear, the Select Committee will be left no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Mr. Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution.”
