House Panel Approves Filing Of Contempt Raps vs Bannon

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is moving forward to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in criminal contempt after he defied a subpoena to appear before the panel, Melissa Macaya reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: Steve Bannon appears to be pushing the limits of the January 6 DC riot panel

The panel passed the contempt report for Bannon, which outlines the efforts it took to get him to comply with its subpoena and his failure to do so. The report will now be referred to the House for a vote expected Thursday.

If the vote succeeds, it would then go to the Justice Department which will decide whether to pursue charges, the New York Times also reported. CNN's Paul LeBlanc said criminal contempt is one of the three options the congressional panel can pursue to enforce its subpoenas, along with civil and inherent contempt.

Bannon could be the first to test the panel's willingness to pursue such a referral. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday and vote on whether the Trump ally should be referred to the Justice Department for criminal contempt charges after refusing to comply with a subpoena deadline last week.

The panel had sent him a letter on Friday rejecting his argument for failing to comply while dismissing his claim of executive privilege, particularly as it relates to his communications with individuals other than former President Trump, according to a copy obtained by CNN. A jail sentence of a month or more is possible if a witness won't comply.

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