(Washington) The department said Friday that Steve Bannon, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has been charged with “contempt of Congress” for refusing to participate in the investigations into the January 6 attack on the Capitol. .
The 67-year-old former counsel is on trial for refusing to testify and to forward the documents to a special House committee investigating the former Republican president’s role in his supporters’ attack on the Capitol.
Although summoned in mid-October, Steve Bannon did not appear before elected officials, invoking the right of presidents to keep certain documents and discussions secret.
But according to the commission, this protection does not apply because Trump is no longer president and has never formally confirmed this privilege to the executive branch.
Steve Bannon was one of the architects of the Republican candidate’s successful presidential campaign in 2016 before falling short of grace. He was not in an official position on January 6, but he appears to have discussed the protest with the president in the previous days, according to the investigative committee.
He faces between 30 days and a year in prison for each count and will be tried in federal court. But the legal battle could take months or years, which could undermine the investigation.
His former chief of staff Mark Meadows, a Trump confidant, also ignored a subpoena to appear before the Democratic-majority investigative committee on Friday.
It was based on a court decision announced Thursday, which temporarily suspends until November 30 the transmission of internal documents from the White House to the Commission.
The former president invoked the executive branch’s right to keep certain information confidential.
The inquiry responded in a statement that US President Joe Biden had already authorized the release of the documents and that Mr. Meadows was therefore obligated to testify, warning the former chief of staff of possible contempt for Congress as well.
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