JUST IN: U.S. Justice Dept. declines to prosecute former Trump aides Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino for contempt of Congress.
The department also declined to prosecute Dan Scavino, who was deputy chief of staff, the DOJ officials said.
But even if prosecutors had charged them and obtained convictions, it would not have required them to cooperate with the committee. It would simply have punished them for their refusal.A senior Justice Department official said the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, notified the committee of its conclusions. The decisions were based “on the individual facts and circumstances of their alleged contempt,” according to the official.
The Justice Department did not explain in detail why prosecutors declined to charge Meadows. But unlike Steve Bannon, who was charged in November with contempt for refusing to cooperate with the committee, Meadows cooperated to some extent. He produced documents that he said were not protected by executive privilege and offered to testify to non-privileged matters.
In finding Meadows in contempt, the committee said he refused to testify even about matters that were not privileged and that he had discussed in his book and television interviews. It also said he wrongly asserted executive privilege over matters that were not official government business, such as campaign-related conversations about the election results.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ex-Trump aide Navarro indicted; Meadows won't be chargedThe Justice Department has declined to charge former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and another aide to former President Donald Trump, Dan Scavino, for contempt of Congress for their defiance of subpoenas in the Jan. 6 congressional investigation
Read more »
Ex-Trump aide Navarro indicted; Meadows won’t be chargedMeadows and Navarro were subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 2020 insurrection at the U.S. Captiol.
Read more »
Ex-Trump aide Navarro indicted; Meadows won't be chargedFormer Trump White House official Peter Navarro indicted; Meadows won't be charged FOX13
Read more »
Former top Trump aide Peter Navarro indicted by grand jury for contempt of CongressThe former top Trump aide refused to appear before that Jan. 6 elect committee.
Read more »
Former Trump official Navarro indicted on contempt charges for defying 1/6 panelNavarro is the second former Trump aide to be charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6, 2021, investigation.
Read more »
Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro indicted on contempt charges after defying subpoena from Jan. 6 committeeFormer White House official Peter Navarro was indicted Friday on contempt charges after defying a subpoena from the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Read more »