Members of the House committee investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol are ratcheting up the pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to slap criminal charges on former aides to Donald Trump who are refusing to appear before the panel, saying the lack of action is hurting their investigation, The Washington Post reports.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' refusal to appear has the panel pushing for him to be charged with contempt of Congress. The committee also approved criminal referrals against former Trump White House aides Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro.
“It is important for the department to act and to act with alacrity for the principal reason that we're trying to prevent another January 6,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told reporters on Tuesday. “Those who push the big lie that led to violence continue to push that big lie. So we feel a sense of urgency and we hope the [DOJ] does also. To me, these cases…are pretty clear cut in that two of the witnesses simply refused to appear. So it shouldn't be that difficult for the [DOJ] to act.”