Trump Ex-Chief of Staff Facing Contempt Charge Sues US House Speaker Pelosi - Reports
00:14 GMT 09.12.2021 (Updated: 00:21 GMT 09.12.2021)
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Mark Meadows, former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, has filed charges against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the Select Committee she set up to probe the January 6 events at the US Capitol prepares contempt charges against him, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Trump’s right-hand man earlier refused to testify before the US House Select Committee claiming he could not discuss issues covered by executive privilege. In response, the panel is preparing charges of criminal contempt against him, the report said.
Mark Meadows is suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Jan. 6 committee, the case is docketed in federal district court in DC but the complaint isn't up yet (HT @woodruffbets) pic.twitter.com/pauTagphXZ
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) December 8, 2021
"Over the last several weeks, Mr. Meadows has consistently sought in good faith to pursue an accommodation with the Select Committee and up until yesterday we believed that could be obtained", the letter from Meadows' attorney George Terwilliger read. "We acted on the belief that the Select Committee would receive, also in good faith, relevant, responsive but non-privileged facts".
The Select Committee has overstepped its authority and pushed past the boundaries to conduct law enforcement investigations or "free-standing 'fact finding' missions," he added.
"It is well-established that Congress’s subpoena authority is limited to the pursuit of a legitimate legislative purpose", Terwilliger said. "Congress has no authority to conduct law enforcement investigations or free-standing 'fact finding' missions".
Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Reaches Cooperation Deal With Congress' January 6 Committee
30 November 2021, 17:04 GMT
The House Select Committee has rejected Meadows' argument about executive privilege. It said President Joe Biden did not try to use any power of executive privilege to protect Meadows from having to testify, the report said.
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.
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) December 7, 2021
Earlier, former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon refused to comply with the committee's subpoena, ending up being indicted for contempt of Congress.
Bannon - and Trump - have characterized the Select Committees' actions as a political witch hunt.
