FILE-White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino speaks inside the empty Mellon Auditorium August 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committee's investigation into the Jan.
6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.The two men became the latest members of former President Donald Trump's inner circle to face legal jeopardy as the select committee continues its more than nine-month-long probe into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years.
The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.The contempt action followed hours of raw debate on the House floor as Republicans stood by 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.Director of the National Trade Council Peter Navarro looks on as President Donald Trump meets with supply chain distributors in reference to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in the Cabinet Room in the West Wing at the White House on Sunday, March 2 (Photo by Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images)Democratic Rep.