Jan. 6 panel votes to refer ex-DOJ official Jeffrey Clark for contempt of Congress The panel said Clark, who had promised to pursue baseless election fraud claims, shirked his legal obligation to answer questions tied to the deadly insurrection. The nine-member committee, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously in favor of the referral. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in remarks ahead of the vote: "He chose this path. He knew what consequences he might face if he did so. This committee and this House must insist on accountability in the face of that sort of defiance. We must honor the oath we took to support and defend the Constitution." Ahead of the vote, Thompson said Clark had requested the chance to come in and appear before the panel to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Thompson said the committee will allow it on Saturday, but they were still moving forward with the contempt referral.