A United States House committee, investigating the January 6 Capitol riots, on Tuesday voted to hold former White House aide Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress after he ignored summons to testify before the panel, AP reported.
The committee unanimously approved the contempt of Congress citation, The Guardian reported. The panel will on Thursday approach the court to punish Bannon for ignoring the summons.
“It is essential that we get Mr Bannon’s factual and complete testimony in order to get a full accounting of the violence of January 6th and its causes,” said Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the select committee.
If the contempt charges are proven in the court, Bannon would have to serve one year in federal prison, or pay a fine of $1,00,000 (or Rs 74 lakh approximately) or both.
On January 6, hundreds of supporters of former US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol complex in Washington DC. They clashed with the police as members of the Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential elections, which Democrat Joe Biden won. Five people died in the violence. At least 68 were arrested.
The committee said that Bannon, who was also the former advisor to Trump, had multiple roles relevant to the investigation of the Capitol riots, AP reported. He was allegedly involved in “constructing and participating in the ‘stop the steal’ public relations effort that motivated the attack”.
Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and vice-chair of the committee, on Tuesday said that Bannon had had “substantial advance knowledge of the plans” for the protest on January 6, according to the BBC.
Bannon was not a part of the government when the riots took place as he was fired from the White House in 2017. He has said that he needs a court order before he responds to the summons.
Meanwhile, Trump has attempted to block the committee’s work by urging Bannon to not answer questions about the Capitol riots in public. Trump has also filed lawsuits to prevent Congress from obtaining documents from the White House.
Trump, before leaving office in January, had pardoned Bannon for his involvement in the “We Build the Wall” campaign – an online fundraising effort to erect a barrier along the Mexican border. The crowdfunding campaign had collected more than $25 million.
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