Congress wants accounts. On October 19, former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon was the target of a vote in the United States House of Representatives. The committee in charge of the investigation around the assault on the Capitol on January 6 thus decided in favor of prosecution against him.
Members voted unanimously for this measure. A decision that came shortly after Steve Bannon refused to provide documents requested by the committee, and even to appear as a witness for a deposition. “It’s a shame Mr. Bannon puts us in this position. But we will not take a ‘no’, ”said Bennie Thompson, chairman of the commission of inquiry.
By this vote, the members therefore ask the US Department of Justice to intervene to prosecute Steve Bannon. If the process comes to an end, and the former adviser stays on course, he could be fined or even jailed.
The commission of inquiry is notably seeking to know whether he was linked with extreme right-wing groups responsible for the January 6 assault, such as the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers. On the eve of this Congressional decision, Steve Bannon’s lawyer assured that he would not falter until an agreement with Donald Trump was found on his testimony or the delivery of documents.
A race against time
The former US president has indeed been fighting the efforts of parliamentarians since leaving the White House. On October 18, he sued Congress and the National Archives to block the disclosure of records and communications related to the assault on Capitol Hill. He highlights in particular the “privilege of the executive”, which would allow, according to him, to guard against summons and to give documents. The rules on the subject are relatively vague, and the situation could therefore turn into a slow legal battle.
For Democrats, time is running out. Because if a judgment on this issue is not given before the mid-term elections of 2022, the risk is great. As the New York Times, in the event of the defeat of the presidential camp, and of a Republican majority in the Chamber, it is more than likely that the proceedings will then be dropped. From Florida, Donald Trump continues to impose his rhythm on the American capital.