US Capitol Riot Probe Cites Steve Bannon for Criminal Contempt

WASHINGTON, October 14 (Sputnik) - The US House Select Committee investigating the January 6 events at the US Capitol will cite former Breitbart media chief Steve Bannon for criminal contempt for refusing to testify before it, Congressman Bennie Thompson said on Thursday.

“Mr. Bannon has declined to cooperate with the Select Committee,” Thompson said. “We reject his position entirely. The Select Committee will not tolerate defiance of our subpoenas, so we must move forward with proceedings to refer Mr. Bannon for criminal contempt.”

The congressman from Mississippi said Bannon was trying to hide behind former President Donald Trump’s efforts to invoke privileges protecting him from having to testify.

“I’ve notified the Select Committee that we will convene for a business meeting Tuesday evening to vote on adopting a contempt report. … The Select Committee will use every tool at its disposal to get the information it seeks, and witnesses who try to stonewall the Select Committee will not succeed,” Thompson said.

All witnesses were required to provide the information they possessed so that the committee could get to the facts, Thompson added.

On 6 January, protesters breached the US Capitol building and disrupted a joint session of Congress that was counting electoral votes to formalise Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died as a result. Donald Trump, who had repeatedly claimed the 2020 presidential election had been “stolen” from him and was “rigged,” was accused of “inciting an insurrection."

The ex-POTUS vehemently rejected the accusations, spearheaded by the Democrats, that he had "instigated" the riots. Trump was impeached by the US House of Representatives but was subsequently acquitted by the US Senate.