Former Trump associate Steve Bannon is finding out the hard way that the Department of Justice has teeth after federal prosecutors indicted him on Friday for ignoring a congressional subpoena.
The House of Representatives voted to refer criminal charges against Bannon to the DOJ after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House 1/6 Committee. The committee is investigating the Capitol insurrection and the events that led up to it, including who was involved.
Bannon appears to have had advanced knowledge of how January 6th would unfold and was with Trump inside his “war room” at the Willard Hotel in Washington DC on the day Trump’s supporters attempted to overthrow our democracy.
Bannon claimed that he can’t talk to the committee because Trump invoked “executive privilege,” a power that former presidents do not hold.
The DOJ has been dragging their feet since receiving the referral from Congress, potentially enabling other former Trump officials to believe they can get away with ignoring subpoenas from Congress as well.
On Friday, that all changed when the DOJ put Trump and his allies on notice that Congress has the power to issue subpoenas and enforce them.
Not only has Bannon been indicted by a federal grand jury, but a warrant has also been issued for his arrest.
Steve Bannon has been indicted by a federal grand jury, @SchneiderCNN reports. Prosecutors presented an indictment and arrest warrant to a federal magistrate on Friday afternoon, according to CNN reporters in the magistrate courtroom.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 12, 2021
The judge signed an arrest warrant for an indicted defendant with the initials “SB.” A source confirmed it’s Bannon.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 12, 2021
“Bannon, 67, is charged with one contempt count involving his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol,” DOJ confirms.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 12, 2021
Bannon could potentially go to jail for ignoring the subpoena. And there will be no one in the White House to pardon him this time.
Featured Image: Screenshot
