January 6 panel considers next steps after Trump fails to attend deposition

Panel chair Bennie Thompson says contempt of Congress referral could be an option' after former president skips interview

The special US House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack is weighing whether to issue a contempt of Congress referral for Donald Trump after the former president skipped a closed-door deposition with the panel that was scheduled for Monday.

The committee's Democratic chair, Bennie Thompson, said that the contempt of Congress referral targeting Trump could be an option" - though the Mississippi congressman added that the panel would have to first address a lawsuit filed against it by Trump's lawyers on Friday. The suit challenged the subpoena ordering Trump to appear at the deposition as a violation of executive privilege.