The House moved Wednesday to hold former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress as a new round of partisan fighting erupted over the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Lawmakers argued over a resolution, that if approved later in the day as expected, would send contempt charges against Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack recommended the charges after the two men refused for months to comply with subpoenas.
The debate on the House floor was raw as Republicans stood by former President Donald Trump and charged that Democrats were trying to politicize the attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of “criminalizing dissent,” defended Scavino as a “good man” and lobbed harsh criticism at members of the committee, some by name. “Let’s be honest, this is a political show trial,” McCarthy said.
