Crime & Justice

US congressional committee votes to hold two ex-Trump aides in contempt

Washington, Mar 28 (EFE).- The United States congressional committee investigating the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 voted Monday to declare two ex-advisers to former President Donald Trump in contempt for refusing to cooperate with the probe into the incident.

The committee, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously to recommend that the full House hold Dan Scavino, a White House communications aide under Trump, and Peter Navarro, the former president’s trade adviser, in contempt.

The recommendation of criminal charges against Scavino and Navarro will now go to the full House, where they’re likely to be approved by the Democratic majority.

The charges will then head to the Justice Department, which will decide whether to convene a grand jury to formally charge them with contempt.

The offense is punishable by a maximum one-year sentence in prison and a $100,000 fine, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The members of the committee said they have repeatedly asked Scavino and Navarro to testify before the committee or provide relevant information, and that they have refused to cooperate.

The US’ lower house has already declared former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and the ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt. Bannon is set to go on trial in July.

The committee investigating the Capitol assault was created by House Speaker and Democrat Nancy Pelosi, and has a Democratic majority, with the exception of two Republicans – Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger – who are at odds with Trump.

Its mission is to investigate why the riot occurred, who was responsible and what can be done to prevent another similar event.

On Jan. 6, 2021 some 10,000 people – most of them Trump supporters – marched to the Capitol and about 800 broke into the building to prevent the November 2020 election victory of now-President Joe Biden from being ratified. Five people died and about 140 law-enforcement officers were injured. EFE

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