(Observer Network News) Comprehensive Reuters, The Wall Street Journal reported on October 20 that on the 19th local time, the House Special Committee investigating the riots in the US Capitol on January 6 unanimously voted to support Steve Bannon, a former senior strategic adviser to Trump who was once known as the "White House Master", flouted Congress and recommended his arrest.
Screenshot of the report
Seven Democrats and two Republicans on the House Special Committee unanimously voted 9 to 0 to approve the report, which recommended criminal charges against Bannon, calling Bannon's refusal to comply with the subpoena to provide documents and testify "shocking."
After the report is adopted by the Special Committee, it will be put to the vote of all members of the House of Representatives. A person familiar with the matter said the vote was scheduled for Thursday. Democrats currently have a slim majority in the House of Representatives.
If the House approves the transfer of the matter, the Justice Department will decide whether to pursue criminal liability.
The Justice Department has not said how it will handle the Bannon case, which was filed by the House. But in 2015, the Justice Department said it was open to filing such lawsuits in certain circumstances.
Biden on Friday tried to pressure those who defied the commission's subpoena should be prosecuted. A spokesman for the attorney general said that "independent decisions will be made in all indictments solely on the basis of facts and the law." The White House later said Biden supported the Justice Department's independence.
Anyone who refuses to comply with a congressional summons risks being convicted of contempt of Congress, and if convicted, he could face a fine and up to 12 months in prison.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the committee, said: "It's a shame Bannon got things to this point. But we will not accept the 'no' answer. ”
Bannon has previously been accused of defrauding Trump supporters. Before leaving office in January, Trump pardoned him. Trump also urged former aides summoned by the commission to reject the other side's request, saying they could refuse to disclose information based on administrative privileges used to protect White House communications.
The Wall Street Journal noted that the committee's vote could spark a legal battle, mostly over the scope of executive privilege trump stands for and whether such protection applies not only to the conversations or suggestions of government officials, but also to ordinary citizens. At the time of the summons, Bannon was not in office in the government.
More than 670 people have now been accused of involvement in the January 6 riots, the worst attack on U.S. government agencies since the war of 1812. The Special Committee has issued 19 subpoenas for this purpose.
Thompson said lawmakers were meeting to confirm the outcome of the 2020 election at the time of the violent attack: "I was shocked that someone did not do enough to assist us in our investigation." ”
While stressing that "Bannon will obey our investigation, otherwise he will face the consequences", he warned other witnesses: "If anyone wants to learn from Bannon, then you should pay attention, this is the consequence you will face." ”
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