The congressional committee investigating the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 voted in favor of holding another Trump official in contempt after he pleaded his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The nine members of the committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to send a criminal contempt referral to the House for a vote after Jeffrey Clark indicated that he would appear for his deposition, but would refuse to testify.
“He chose this path. He knew what consequences he might face if he did so,” said Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).
“This committee and this House must insist on accountability in the face of that sort of defiance,” Thompson added. “We must honor the oath we took to support and defend the Constitution.”
Clark formerly worked for the Department of Justice under former President Donald Trump. The committee wants to investigate whether Clark inappropriately used the powers of the department to pursue overturning the official results of the presidential election in 2020.
He would be the second person to be referred to the House for criminal contempt for refusing a subpoena from the committee. Stephen Bannon, a former advisor to Trump, was indicted by a federal grand jury after the House voted to hold him in criminal contempt.
Bannon had refused the subpoenas from the committee based on a claim of executive privilege, which the current President Joe Biden has denied to extend when Trump made the request.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tweeted about the vote and said that Clark would be held accountable.
“The Jan 6 committee just voted to recommend the House hold Jeffrey Clark in contempt. Clark has direct knowledge of Trump’s efforts to utilize the DOJ to prevent a peaceful transfer of power,” claimed Schiff.
“By refusing to appear, he’s violating the law,” Schiff added. “He will be held accountable.”
Here’s more about the Jan. 6 Committee subpoenas:
January 6 panel votes in favor of holding Jeffrey Clark in criminal contempt
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