Steve Bannon, the controversial longtime aide to former President Donald Trump, may soon find himself facing contempt-of-Congress charges.
The Jan. 6 select congressional committee, aimed at investigating the Capitol riots, voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of lodging contempt charges against Bannon. The committee called it “shocking” that Bannon has not complied with subpoenas requesting documents and testimony. The charges will now be voted on by the full House, possibly as early as Thursday.
The panel’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), commented: “It’s a shame that Mr. Bannon has put us in this position. But we won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. It’s shocking to me that anyone would not do everything in their power to assist our investigation.”
Bannon’s attorney has stated that his client will not cooperate with the committee’s investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection until Trump’s executive privilege claim is resolved in the courts, which could take years.
“Mr. Bannon’s and Mr. Trump’s privilege arguments do appear to reveal one thing, however: They suggest that President Trump was personally involved in the planning and execution of Jan. 6th,” Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) said on Tuesday. “And we will get to the bottom of that.”
