The standoff intensifies.
A US parliamentary commission of inquiry ruled Thursday in favor of legal proceedings for "obstructing the work of Congress" against Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Donald Trump who refuses to participate in the investigations into the assault on the Capitol.
"Mr. Bannon will comply with our investigation, or he will face the consequences," said Democrat Bennie Thompson, who heads this commission criticized by Donald Trump and his allies.
“We cannot allow anyone to stand in the way of the work of the special commission while we work to establish the facts.
The stakes are simply too high, ”he added before a unanimous vote of the nine members in favor of the prosecution.
Steve Bannon was summoned Thursday before this special committee of the House of Representatives which is investigating the role of the former Republican president in the attack by his supporters against the seat of Congress on January 6, when elected officials certified victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election.
But he didn't show up before the elect.
The Minister of Justice as arbitrator
This recommendation of the commission of inquiry must now be voted on in plenary session in the House, where the Democrats are in the majority, with a view to its transmission to the Minister of Justice.
Merrick Garland will decide whether to indict Steve Bannon, who in theory faces up to a year in prison.
Steve Bannon, 67, was one of the architects of Donald Trump's successful presidential campaign in 2016 before being pushed out by the Republican billionaire.
In the last days of his mandate, the president granted him leniency, ending the prosecution for embezzlement.
Even though he did not hold any official post on Jan.6, he appears to have spoken about the Jan.6 protest with the president in the days leading up to the assault, according to the commission.
Republican Liz Cheney, who voted in favor of Donald Trump's impeachment insisted: Steve Bannon's refusal "suggests that President Trump was directly involved in the organization and execution of January 6.
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https://twitter.com/VeteranAntiWar/status/1450625357850181632
Decision taken "independently"
In addition to this adviser, four other relatives of Donald Trump have received summons from the special commission, demanding documents or their testimony.
The former president asked them not to comply, invoking the right of the executive to keep certain information secret.
But for Democrats, this prerogative only applies to the incumbent president.
The legal debate should take place in the courts and could slow down the work of the commission.
President Joe Biden said on Friday that those who ignore the commission's subpoenas should be prosecuted.
A spokesperson for the Minister of Justice had however declared in the wake that the ministry made "independent decisions in all proceedings, based only on facts and law".
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