Meadows texts rocked January 6 probe but chairman warns Trump loyalists could run out clock

Exclusive: Chairman Bennie Thompson warns Trump allies have time on their side ahead of Mark Meadows contempt vote

The chairman of the House’s January 6 select committee warned that loyalists to former president Donald Trump could run out the clock ahead of the chamber’s vote to hold former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress.

The vote comes after the select committee voted on Monday evening to refer a contempt vote for Mr Meadows, a former congressman from North Carolina, to the larger body. Rep Liz Cheney, who is vice chairwoman of the committee, read a series of text exchanges between Mr Meadows and various Fox News personalities during the Capitol riot, as well as with Mr Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr.

Mr Meadows is the second contempt vote that has come from the probe investigating the insurrection. The House also voted to hold former White House adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress earlier this year.

“It was important because we didn’t get all the information we wanted, we tried to negotiate with him, it didn’t work out,” Bennie Thompson, who is chairman of the select committee, told The Independent off the floor of the House of Representatives.

The committee referred Mr Meadows for a contempt vote after he failed to give evidence for a deposition, with Mr Meadows’ attorney saying that cooperating further would require him to discuss matters covered under executive privilege.

“And so for our purposes, what we can do with the contempt vote, is just pass it on to the Department of Justice,” Mr Thompson said.

But with this being the second contempt vote the House has had, it is entirely possible that other Trump administration officials could follow Mr Meadows and Mr Bannon’s suit.

“We’ll see what happens when that time comes, but I think anytime you bring senior people who worked in the administration in one capacity or another – one who used to, one who did before the change of the administration – I don’t know how high you can get beyond that,” the Mississippi Democrat said.

Mr Thompson said that other people were complying with the investigation.

“Nobody has met the level of noncompliance like those two people have,” he said.

At the same time, with the November midterms on the horizon and Republicans slated to win back the House majority, it is possible that Trump administration officials could simply wait until Congress changes parties.

“Unfortunately, that’s out of our control,” he said. “Once we do our duties here and turn it over to DOJ, it’s their decision.”