OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon could be facing arrest and jail time after he bucked a subpoena from a House committee investigation into the incident at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
“The House committee has said it may refer Bannon for criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) if he doesn’t appear for a deposition slated for Thursday,” The Hill reported.
“Such a move would place Attorney General Merrick Garland in the center of a debate over whether to go after a former right-hand man of Donald Trump after vowing to restore the reputation of a department that was deeply politicized under the prior administration,” The Hill added.
“That’s going to be something that will be considered at the highest levels at DOJ, and what they’re going to consider with any referral like that is how strong of a case is it, and even if it’s readily provable — how important is it that we do this?” said Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor.
The Hill notes:
The law allows for Congress to refer a noncompliant witness to the DOJ for a criminal prosecution, which could result in jail time, a fine, or both.
Bannon’s lawyer released a statement saying they plan to disregard the subpoena.
Bannon’s team claims they are going to file a lawsuit and will let the court decide if he legally has to comply.
“We will comply with the direction of the courts,” Robert Costello, Bannon’s attorney, wrote in the letter.
Barbara McQuade, who served as a U.S. attorney during the Obama administration, made it clear she wants Biden’s Department of Justice to go after Bannon.
“There are a number of things prosecutors have to think about. One is, what is the deterrent effect of bringing a case here in light of the history of the Trump administration, allies, and others thumbing their noses at congressional subpoenas and stalling? There’s a compelling case here for bringing criminal charges,” she said.
Donald Trump instructed his former advisors and staffers to use Executive Privilege to avoid complying with subpoenas from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 incident at the Capitol.
“The ‘Unselect Committee’ of highly partisan politicians, a similar group that perpetrated the now proven lie of Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and many other Scams, has sent out Harassment Subpoenas on Jan. 6th so that the Government of the United States can continue wasting time while Russia, China, and virtually every other country that deals with our Nation can continue to ‘eat our lunch,’ and laugh at the stupidity of what is going on at our Southern Border, and the worst withdrawal from a war zone by any Nation in history—all of this while the Democrats persecute and prosecute Republicans which is, together with Rigging Elections, essentially all they know how to do. We will fight the Subpoenas on Executive Privilege and other grounds, for the good of our Country, while we wait to find out whether or not Subpoenas will be sent out to Antifa and BLM for the death and destruction they have caused in tearing apart our Democrat-run cities throughout America,” the 45th President of the United States said in an email via his Save America PAC in September.
“Hopefully the Unselect Committee will be calling witnesses on the Rigged Presidential Election of 2020, which is the primary reason that hundreds of thousands of people went to Washington, D.C. in the first place. Let the people of the United States see the real facts, which cannot happen because the Fake News refuses to write about them. The Witch Hunt will never end! In the meantime, the Democrats get away with the Russia Scam, and all of the other corruption they have perpetrated on our Country for so many years. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he said.
