WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has voted to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress after he ceased to cooperate with the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection — making it the first time the chamber has voted to hold a former member in contempt since the 1830s.
The two GOP votes were by Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who serve on the committee
Cheney, the panel’s vice chairwoman, said at the committee’s Monday evening meeting that an important issue raised by Meadows’s texts during the siege is whether Trump sought to obstruct the congressional certification by refusing to send a strong message to the rioters to stop.
More revelations emerged on Tuesday before the vote, as Cheney, the vice chairwoman of the committee, read aloud text messages that Republicans in Congress sent to Meadows on Jan. 6 as violence engulfed the Capitol.
“It’s really bad up here on the hill,” one said.
“The President needs to stop this asap,” another implored.
“Fix this now,” another said.
“These texts leave no doubt,” she said. “The White House knew exactly what was happening at the Capitol.”
Cheney’s recitation of the messages from Republicans was a stark reminder that there was a moment when prominent conservative figures, G.O.P. lawmakers and even Trump’s son had been appalled by the violence at the Capitol and agreed it was the president who needed to stop it.
