Tony Blinken faces contempt charges as House Committee prepares to vote next week.

House Republicans Move Forward with Criminal Contempt Proceedings Against Secretary of State Antony Blinken

House Republicans are taking action against Secretary of State Antony Blinken for failing to produce documents related to the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), has scheduled a markup to consider a resolution recommending that Blinken be held in contempt of Congress. If the committee votes to recommend charges, the matter will be sent to the floor for a full congressional vote in the Republican-controlled chamber.

Blinken Missed a Subpoena Deadline

Blinken missed a subpoena deadline last Thursday to turn over a trove of internal State Department documents to the committee about the bungled Afghanistan evacuation that left 13 Americans dead. McCaul warned Blinken earlier this month that his continued refusal to hand over the records, which the committee subpoenaed in March, would result in contempt charges. One of the key documents the committee is seeking is a classified cable, which is believed to show the Biden administration knew the Taliban would seize control of the country after the U.S. withdrawal.

Blinken Would Be the First Secretary of State Held in Contempt of Congress

If Blinken is held in contempt, he would be the first secretary of state—and the third-ever cabinet member—to face such charges. In 1975, the House Select Committee on Intelligence voted to charge then-secretary of state Henry Kissinger for failing to turn over records about covert operations during the Nixon administration, but the committee later withdrew the recommendation. Former attorneys general Eric Holder and Bill Barr were held in contempt in 2012 and 2019, respectively.

The American People Deserve Answers

McCaul emphasized that the American people, particularly veterans and gold star families, deserve answers on how the Afghanistan withdrawal went so catastrophically wrong. “The July 2021 dissent cable from Kabul by 23 officials expressing dire concern over the Biden administration’s policy and the Department’s official response are key evidence,” he told the Washington Free Beacon on Monday.

• House Republicans are moving forward with criminal contempt proceedings against Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
• Blinken missed a subpoena deadline to produce documents related to the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
• If held in contempt, Blinken would be the first secretary of state—and the third-ever cabinet member—to face such charges.
• The American people, particularly veterans and gold star families, deserve answers on how the Afghanistan withdrawal went so catastrophically wrong.