US House Committee Recommends Contempt Charges for Blinken, Reports Reuters

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON – The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has recommended that Secretary of State Antony Blinken be held in contempt of Congress due to his noncompliance with a subpoena related to the tumultuous 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The committee voted 26-25 in favor of a report suggesting the full House find Blinken in contempt after he did not attend a hearing focused on the withdrawal.

The State Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment regarding the vote.

Blinken, currently in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, conveyed in a letter to the committee’s chairman, Republican Representative Michael McCaul, that he had attempted to find a suitable time to testify and had proposed alternative witnesses.

The U.S. contempt of Congress statute provides a mechanism for either the House or Senate to refer a non-compliant witness for potential criminal prosecution, with the U.S. Justice Department ultimately deciding whether to pursue charges.

At this time, it remains unclear when the full House will vote on the committee’s recommendation.