Elected US officials spoke Thursday in favor of initiating congressional obstruction proceedings against Steve Bannon, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, who refuses to participate in investigations into the Capitol assault.
The 67-year-old former adviser was one of the architects of Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign in 2016.
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 a House special committee investigating the former Republican president’s role in the attack by his supporters on the president. Congress headquarters.
Despite being called up, Steve Bannon did not appear before elected officials last week.
“We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because it is so important: ensuring that the future of American democracy is strong and secure,” said Committee Chairman-elect, Democrat Benny Thompson.
With this House vote, Steve Bannon has now been referred to federal prosecutors who will have to decide whether or not to indict him. But even if that were the case, the legal battle could take months or years, potentially undermining the investigation.
France Press agency
Steve Bannon’s testimony is seen as essential, as it is supposed to provide an understanding of what Donald Trump was doing before and during the attack.
“According to the information published, Steve Bannon had accurate knowledge of the events of January 6 before they occurred, played a role in the attack in many ways and was very outspoken about it,” said the chair, Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi.
Steve Bannon said Donald Trump’s lawyers advised him not to appear before the committee, invoking the right of superiors 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.
France Press agency
On Thursday, 220 House Democrats backed the resolution to give prosecutors attention to Steve Bannon’s conviction.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who initially called for an investigation but spent the following months trying to thwart it, urged his forces to vote “no.”
In the end, nine Republicans voted “yes,” including Liz Cheney, the deputy chair of the inquiry and one of the only dissenting voices within her party against Donald Trump.
“No one is above the law,” said another Republican Commissioner Adam Kinzinger, who also voted for the prosecution.
