Former Donald Trump advisor did not appear before the elected officials to testify about the role of the former president in the Capitol attack in January. It could be charged for hindering the work of the congress.
Le Monde with AFP
The American elected officials, on Thursday, October 21, in favor of the commitment to interfere with the work of the Congress against Steve Bannon, the close allied of former President Donald Trump, who refuses to participate in the investigations on the ‘Assault against the Capitol, January 6th.
The former 67-year-old advisor had been one of Donald Trump’s victorious presidential campaign in 2016. He did not exercise any official function on January 6th but seems to have talked about the demonstration with the president during the course. Previous days, according to the Special Committee of the House of Representatives, which investigates the role of the former Republican President in the attack of his followers against the headquarters of the Congress.
Despite his convocation, Steve Bannon did not appear before the elected officials last week. “We will not allow anyone to derail our work because it is too important: to ensure that the future of American democracy is robust and safe,” said the president of the commission of inquiry, the elected Democrat. Bennie Thompson.
By this vote of the House of Representatives, Steve Bannon is now referred to federal prosecutors who will have to decide whether to charge it. If necessary, he was concerned up to one year in prison. But the judicial battle could take months or years, which could undermine the investigation.
An essential testimony
The testimony of Steve Bannon is seen as essential because it is supposed to understand what Donald Trump was doing before and during the assault, according to the declarations of the Chairman of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi:
“According to published information, Steve Bannon had an accurate knowledge of the events of January 6 before they occur, played a role on the attack in several ways and was very frank on that.” / p>
Steve Bannon stated that Donald Trump’s lawyers had advised him not to appear before the Commission by invoking the law of the presidents to keep some confidential documents and discussions. But according to the Commission, this protection does not apply because Trump is no longer president and has never officially asserted this privilege of the executive.
The resolution to entrust prosecutors the inculpan care Steve Bannon was adopted by 229 votes to 202 in the House of Representatives. The 220 elected Democrats of the House supported it, while the Republican leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, who initially called for a survey but spent the following months trying to thwart, had urged his troops to vote. No.
Finally, nine Republicans voted “yes”, including Liz Cheney, Vice President of the Commission of Inquiry and one of the only dissenting voices within his party against Donald Trump. The other Republican member of the Adam Kinzinger Commission, who also voted in favor of the prosecution, launched that “no one is above the law”.