The Washington Post reports the J6 committee former President Trump officials to sit for depositions. The House select committee, compromised of Democrats and two Trump-hating Republicans, will fine them or put them in jail if they fail to show.
The focus of those depositions are Stephen K. Bannon and three other Trump administration officials — former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and Kash Patel, who was serving as chief of staff to then-acting Defense secretary Christopher Miller on January 6.
Bannon’s lawyer, Robert Costello, “has directed Mr. Bannon not to produce documents or testify until the issue of executive privilege is resolved.” He said his client’s “position is not in defiance of your committee’s subpoena.” If the executive privilege objection is resolved by the courts or a change in Trump’s position, Bannon would reconsider, Costello said, noting that his client had testified three times previously about matters concerning the former president.
Bannon was the only one not part of the administration at the time. The committee will focus on getting Bannon.
Bannon’s an effective conservative voice who was pardoned by Trump.
Manu Raju said Mark Meadows and Kash Patel are so far engaging, but Bannon is not.
The partisans on the committee won’t tolerate it.
CRIMINAL CHARGES
Panel members said they are prepared to pursue criminal charges against witnesses like Bannon.
“We are completely of one mind that if people refuse to respond to questions without justification that we will hold them in criminal contempt and refer them to the Justice Department,” Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said.
To proceed with a criminal contempt charge, the full committee must meet, which is unlikely this week. But lawmakers will probably signal their intention to proceed to seek contempt charges, said one anonymous source.
THEY WILL USE THE US MARSHALS SERVICE
Committee member Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” that if former Trump advisers fail to show for their scheduled testimony, they could be rounded up by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“We have engaged with a wide variety of law enforcement offices, including the U.S. Marshals, in order to issue the subpoenas,” Murphy said. “We will use everything, as you said, with all due respect. We will use all of the agencies and all of the tools at our disposal to issue the subpoenas and enforce them.”
She claims she wants to know about the planning on J6. But the committee is not calling in the people who actually had intel and power. Why aren’t they calling Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, the Capitol Police Chiefs, the head of the National Guard, and so on?
“I want to know how much planning was involved, who was involved in the planning, who funded it, how they — what their intent was when they came into that day, and then what they knew as that day unfolded and the safety and security of people like the vice president and members of Congress were at risk, [and] what they did, either to respond or not respond on that occasion,” Murphy said.
The U.S. Marshals Service could take them into custody if they don’t show, said Murphy.
She recommends fines and jail time.
Watch:
These people said NOTHING when it’s their crew. Many of the IRS, Hillary techs, and other Obama agency staff didn’t show in response to subpoenas. Republicans didn’t have anyone arrested.
The DoJ has already exonerated Donald Trump and the White House.
Kash Patel and Steve Bannon are to report today. ABC News reported that Steve Bannon’s attorney has notified the January 6 Committee Chair that Bannon will neither produce documents nor testify, invoking executive privilege.
Steve Bannon’s attorneys fired off the following letter.
Steve Bannon team has fired off another letter to Jan 6 committee repeating that they will not cooperate citing Trump executive privilege claims. Letter obtained by @ABC below —-> pic.twitter.com/BU0F9MuFv0
— John Santucci (@Santucci) October 13, 2021
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