Former President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, could face criminal prosecution for refusing to cooperate fully with a probe into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, after the House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to hold him in contempt of Congress.

The Democratic-led chamber voted 222 to 208, with two Republicans joining Democrats to recommend the charges against Meadows, who served in the House before joining the Republican president's administration last year. 

The Department of Justice will now decide whether to pursue charges. A conviction on the charge carries up to one year in prison.

Trump repeated his false claim at a rally on January 6 that his defeat by Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the November 2020 presidential election was the result of widespread fraud, and urged his supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress gathered to certify Biden's victory. Biden took office on January 20. 

Four people died on the day of the riot, and one Capitol police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending the Congress. Hundreds of police were injured during the multiple-hour violent attack by Trump supporters, and four officers have since taken their own lives.

Meadows could become the third Trump associate to face a criminal contempt charge. The Justice Department, at the House's request, has brought similar charges against Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. 

The House is considering similar action against former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

(Cover: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 21, 2020. /Reuters)