Committee members were expected to meet Monday night to discuss whether to criminalize congressional contempt for Navarro, Trump’s former trade adviser, and Scavino, a former deputy chief of staff. A contempt report released Sunday accused the two men of ignoring calls for them to hand over documents and ask questions of the committee. The committee is expected to vote unanimously to propose charges, prompting a vote in Parliament. The recommendation will then go to the Ministry of Justice, which will decide whether to prosecute. Scavino, 46, and Navarro, 72, were closely involved in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election so that Trump could remain in power. The contempt report states that Scavino attended “several meetings with the president to discuss election challenges.” It is also reported that Scavino was monitoring a website, TheDonald.win, on which individuals were planning violence before 6 January. Navarro was a staunch supporter of false allegations of voter fraud. He has spoken openly about a plan known as the Green Bay Sweep, which involved trying to persuade lawmakers in battlefield states to oppose Joe Biden’s victory in hopes of delaying congressional ratification. Both former Trump aides are accused by the commission of failing to meet the demands of their summonses. Scavino, who was summoned in September, received six extensions but has not yet submitted a document or deposited, the contempt report said. Navarro, who was summoned last month, has refused to discuss any issues with the committee despite citing much in his own book, In Trump Time, which was published last November. The committee argues that his voluntary revelations as a writer mock his claim to executive privilege as an excuse for non-cooperation. Scavino also insists he is unable to testify because Trump invoked executive privilege. The Biden government has said it will not use executive powers to protect individuals from being required to provide documents and other information. The Supreme Court in February rejected Trump’s request to block the transfer of thousands of documents from the National Archives. Scavino and Navarro argue that the broader issue of executive privileges has not been resolved. Unrest in the Capitol erupted when Trump urged supporters to “fight like hell” to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. The U.S. Senate has linked seven deaths to the insurgency, in which more than 100 law enforcement officers were injured. Nearly 800 people have been charged in connection with the attack, some for rioting. Referrals of contempt have been sent to the Justice Department for two other key figures in Trump. Trump’s former general, Steve Bannon, was indicted in November by a major federal court. He has pleaded not guilty. Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff at the time of the Capitol attack, was referred to the DoJ. He is still examining the facts. The Jan. 6 commission also made a contemptuous remarks about Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who promoted an effort to delay certification of results in key states. He was spared a vote in Parliament after agreeing to appear before the committee – although he continued to assert his right to remain silent more than 100 times.
