Jan. 6 Select Committee Eyeing to Hold Two Former President Donald Trump's Aides in Contempt
The Jan. 6 select committee is scheduled to vote next week to consider contempt of Congress charges for the two aides of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The select committee is leading the investigation on the January 6 Capitol riot, wherein a mob of Trump supporters breached the building, according to an Associated Press News report.
The select committee will meet on Monday to discuss whether to recommend referring for potential prosecution of Trump's former trade adviser, Peter Navarro, and former White House communications aide, Dan Scavino.
The House select committee subpoenaed Navarro for his testimony in early February, aiming to question him for his promotion of false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Navarro has cited executive privilege. However, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has denied those claims from him.
The Biden administration said that an assertion of executive privilege was not justified or in the national interest.
Jan. 6 Select Committee Congress Contempt Charges on Two Trump Aides
House investigators noted in a notice that it would consider a contempt report against Scavino and Navarro after the two had defied subpoenas compelling them to hand out documents and testimony, according to The Guardian report.
The select committee is expected to vote unanimously to send the contempt report for a vote before the House of Representatives, according to a source close to the panel.
It would prompt Justice Department to prosecute the Trump aides.
Scavino was eyed by the select committee as he was intimately involved in a months-long effort by the Trump White House to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
He was also closely involved in the scheme to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to stop the certification of Biden's victory.
Meanwhile, the select committee sought information from Navarro as he knew of that scheme to have Pence return Trump to office.
Navarro was briefed on the said scheme called "Green Bay Sweep" by the political operatives responsible for the operation at the Willard.
He entirely skipped his deposition, which was scheduled for March 2. He claimed that as a former White House aide, he has immunity from congressional subpoenas.
Navarro also called the possible contempt vote "an unprecedented partisan assault on executive privilege," according to a CBS News report.
He said in a statement that until the matter has been settled at the Supreme Court, the select committee should "cease its tactics of harassment and intimidation."
Jan. 6 Select Committee
The select committee leading the probe on Jan. 6 Capitol riot has spent more than $2 million on its investigation, including $1.64 million between October and December, according to an ABC News report.
The increase in spending is reportedly a sign of how much the committee is extending its work ahead of public hearings, with the interim report being expected this spring and summer.
The committee tapped 12 additional staff members last quarter, with the total headcount reaching 41, which was an increase from 29 in September 2021.
The new staffers are investigators and attorneys with experience in organized crime, terrorism, cryptocurrency, and financial crimes.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Contempt: After Admitting Election Plot On TV, Trump Aide Faces Contempt Vote - from MSNBC