The House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6 voted late Tuesday to hold former top Trump strategist Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress, according to the Associated Press.
Bannon defied a congressional subpoena for documents and testimony relating to then-President Donald Trump’s possible involvement in planning the protest, part of which turned into a “break-in” or “riot” in the Capitol Building.
Trump fired Bannon in his first year in office.
The Democrat-dominated committee voted unanimously. However, while the committee is supposed to contain 13 members — seven Democrats and six Republicans — only two NeverTrump Republicans, Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) took seats alongside the Democrats.
Please note that in the linked report, the AP is still referring to Jan. 6 as an “insurrection.” More than nine months later, not a single insurrection charge has been filed against anyone involved.
The FBI confirmed back in August that “there was no insurrection” on Jan. 6. At least one FBI informant is known to be among those who “stormed” (and were in some cases let into) the Capitol.
Some have called the idea of FBI involvement — or even instigation — of Jan. 6 a conspiracy theory. But as investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald put it in June, “The only way to claim this kind of crazy conspiracy theory is if you are completely ignorant about what the FBI does or lying on purpose to cover up what the FBI does when it acts domestically.”
Cheney was quoted saying on Tuesday, “Mr. Bannon’s and Mr. Trump’s privilege arguments do appear to reveal one thing, however: They suggest that President Trump was personally involved in the planning and execution of Jan. 6th. And we will get to the bottom of that.”
If Cheney wants to get to the bottom of anything related to Jan. 6, she might want to start again, this time with the FBI.
The full House is expected to vote on the contempt resolution on Thursday, according to the AP, and given the slanted nature of the investigation so far, it seems certain Bannon will be held in contempt.
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