The House votes to hold Mark Meadows in contempt, sending a criminal referral to DOJ

[lindysalsagal]

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/14/1064068696/the-house-votes-to-hold-mark-meadows-in-contempt-sending-a-criminal-referral-to-?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20211214&utm_term=6099566&utm_campaign=breaking-news&utm_id=54063904&orgid=433&utm_att1=

December 14, 202111:07 PM ET
Claudia Grisales, photographed for NPR, 13 November 2019, in Washington DC.
CLAUDIA GRISALES

A day after lawmakers shared an explosive series of text messages sent to Mark Meadows during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the Democratic-led U.S. House voted to hold the former Trump White House chief of staff in criminal contempt of Congress.

The Tuesday evening vote, cast almost completely along party lines, triggers a series of steps to send the referral to the U.S. attorney's office, leaving the Justice Department to decide whether it will pursue a prosecution in the case.

If so, Meadows could face up a year in jail for each contempt, plus fines.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the select committee investigating the Capitol riot, said Tuesday that it was a "difficult matter" to move forward with the referral, especially as Meadows is a veteran House member from North Carolina.

[gab13by13]

1. 3 weeks from now we should get an answer.

[blueinredohio]

2. Will the answer be "we need more information?"

[KPN]

3. A "difficult matter"? Really? nt