The 1/6 Committee responded to Peter Navarro being charged with contempt of Congress by asking why Mark Meadows has not also been charged.
1/6 Committee Wants Answers From Merrick Garland
Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) said in a joint statement:
While today’s indictment of Peter Navarro was the correct decision by the Justice Department, we find the decision to reward Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino for their continued attack on the rule of law puzzling. Mr. Meadows and Mr. Scavino unquestionably have relevant knowledge about President Trump’s role in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the events of January 6th. We hope the Department provides greater clarity on this matter.
If the Department’s position is that either or both of these men have absolute immunity from appearing before Congress because of their former positions in the Trump Administration, that question is the focus of pending litigation. As the Select Committee has argued in District Court, Mark Meadows’s claim that he is entitled to absolute immunity is not correct or justified based on the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel Memoranda. No one is above the law.
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Why Hasn’t Mark Meadows Been Charged?
In the case of Meadows, DOJ seems to be concerned about an executive privilege claim from Trump’s former chief of staff, but executive privilege does cover criminal activity. It isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro are the low-hanging fruit of those who have been referred for prosecution. There are solid arguments for contempt convictions that can be made against both of them.
However, Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino are the more critical cases concerning affirming the authority of Congress and the point that no one is above the law.
Attorney General Garland and the DOJ have some explaining to do to the 1/6 Committee because what is happening with the referrals doesn’t make sense.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
