On Wednesday the House of Representatives voted to hold two former advisers to President Trump in contempt for defying subpoenas from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In a 220-203 vote, Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt and now the matter will be referred to the Justice Department.
The Hill reports:
Scavino was one of the committee’s earliest subpoena targets, seeking an interview with an aide who spent considerable time with the president on Jan. 6 and helped promote the rally.
Navarro was subpoenaed by the committee in February after passages from his own book appeared to show he was involved in plans to delay certification of the presidential election.
Both men claimed they cannot cooperate with the panel’s requests because of executive privilege. Scavino was referenced in a letter from Trump’s attorney raising that issue, however the same has not been done for Navarro.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the Jan. 6 committee, said the former Trump advisers have completely ignored the panel’s subpoenas.
“If 90 percent of success in life is just showing up, then 90 percent of acting in contempt of congress is not showing up by failing to respond to multiple subpoenas you’ve been lawfully served,” he said.
“The rest of contempt is not turning over documents you’ve been ordered to produce and acting with open disregard and scorn for the rule of law, Congress and representatives of the American people.”