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Contempt Battle on the Horizon as Trump Defies Jan. 6 Committee Subpoena

The former president has refused to turn over a single document to the House committee investigating Jan. 6—and failed to turn up for a deposition on Monday morning.

Former President Donald Trump failed to turn up for a deposition with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Monday—setting up a potential contempt of Congress vote during the chamber’s upcoming lame-duck session. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) told The New York Times that a formal contempt charge “could be an option,” though the committee must first address a last-ditch lawsuit filed Friday by Trump’s camp which sought to get the former president out of providing testimony. In a joint statement with Thompson, Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) accused Trump of “hiding,” claiming “the truth is that Donald Trump, like several of his closest allies, is hiding from the Select Committee’s investigation and refusing to do what more than a thousand other witnesses have done.” The House has already voted to hold four allies of the former president in contempt for failing to testify or refusing to turn over documents: Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino Jr. Both Bannon and Navarro were ultimately indicted on those charges.