US Lawmakers Vote to Hold Bannon in Contempt
3 Min Read
US lawmakers hold Trump's ally in contempt for defying subpoenas. The vote saw a surprising 'yes' from 6 Republican lawmakers.
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Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, attends a discussion on "countering violent extremism" at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 23, 2017, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
US lawmakers agreed Thursday to hold a key Donald Trump ally in criminal contempt for defying a subpoena to testify before a panel investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
The House of Representatives voted in favor of referring Bannon to federal prosecutors to make a decision on whether to press charges.
"Mr. Bannon stands alone in his defiance, and we will not stand for it," committee chairman Bennie Thompson said.
"We will not allow anyone to derail our work because our work is too important -- helping ensure that the future of American democracy is strong and secure," he added.
Several lawmakers cited comments Bannon made on his podcast days ahead of and on the morning of the violent insurrection carried out by Trump supporters.
"All hell is going to break loose tomorrow... This is not a day for fantasy, this is a day for maniacal focus. Focus, focus, focus," he said.
"We're coming in right over the target, okay? This is the point of attack we always wanted," the former advisor said.
All of the 220 Democrat representatives voted Thursday in favor of the resolution to hold Bannon in criminal contempt.
Certain Republicans voted 'yes' to holding Bannon in criminal contempt as well. Six Republicans voted in favor of the resolution, and they included January 6 committee members Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who initially called for a probe and then spent months attempting to thwart said probe, had urged his lawmakers to vote against the resolution.
Bannon made a statement: Trump's lawyers advised him not to appear before the committee based on the privilege that protects White House communications. However, the January 6 committee sees that this privilege no longer applies to Trump, as he is no longer President, nor does it apply to Bannon.
The former advisor spoke, through his lawyers, saying he would not cooperate with the committee until the executive privilege Trump talked about is settled, either through a court or a settlement agreement.
Former US President Donald Trump had filed a lawsuit against the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot in an attempt to shield his ally using the pretext of the communication privilege, which Biden thought deserved waiving due to the gravity of the capitol riot.
