Former Donald Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Tuesday he was no longer willing to cooperate with the investigation into the January assault on the U.S. Capitol, prompting investigators to threaten him with criminal charges .
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Mark Meadows was supposed to be the first of Donald Trump’s relatives to agree to testify before this so-called “January 6” commission, when thousands of supporters of the former president invaded the seat of the United States Congress in an attempt to prevent the elected officials to certify the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election.
After initially ignoring a subpoena to appear before the House of Representatives committee, Mr Meadows, the president’s closest adviser, then struck an information-sharing deal with lawmakers – before marching again back.
Considered a key witness to Trump’s role in this affair, he finally “informed the commission that he did not intend to cooperate further with the investigation”, according to the two elected officials, Democrat Bennie Thompson and Republican Liz Cheney.
If he does not change his mind by Wednesday, the commission will have “no choice” but to recommend prosecution against Mark Meadows, they warned in a statement.
Another ally of Donald Trump, the sulphurous Steve Bannon, has already been indicted for the same reason and faces a prison sentence. His trial will begin on July 18.
Mark Meadows’ lawyer justified this about-face by fears that his right to keep certain information secret would not be respected.
Coming out of a book
In an interview aired late Tuesday on conservative Fox, Mr Meadows said “hopefully the courts can settle the matter,” adding that he had tried to be conciliatory with the information. non-confidential “while ensuring that executive privilege is protected.”
Usually very discreet, Mark Meadows came out of the shadows last week by announcing the upcoming release of a book on the last months of the Republican billionaire in the White House.
Commission officials also regretted that the 62-year-old man refused to testify “despite the fact that he provided details of the January 6 attack, including conversations with President Trump in the book he wrote. is currently promoting ”.
The commission, which is investigating the role of the former president and his advisers in this attack, is increasing the number of subpoenas in Donald Trump’s entourage.
But the former tenant of the White House, who describes the commission as “highly biased”, ordered those around him to close ranks, an injunction to which Mark Meadows seems in part to have complied.
Supporters of the former US president are working hard to minimize these events, calling the January 6 parliamentary inquiry a “witch hunt”, one of Donald Trump’s favorite expressions.