House Jan 6 committee votes unanimously to hold Bannon in contempt for not complying with subpoena

The Democrat-led House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot voted unanimously Tuesday evening to hold former Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt for failing to comply with the panel's subpoena. 

Several members for former President Trump's inner circle recently have been subpoenaed by the committee for documents and testimony.

However, committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, says Bannon, "stands alone in his complete defiance of our subpoena" and the panel will not take no for an answer, according to the Associated Press. 

The full House is expected to vote Thursday on the contempt resolution. If passed, the resolution goes to the Justice Department, which would then decide whether to pursue criminal charges against Bannon.

The contempt resolution asserts Bannon, fired by Trump in 2017 and now a podcast host, has no legal standing to rebuff the committee amid the argument his information is protected by the privilege of the former president’s office.

The committee, which includes two Republicans, says it is pursuing Bannon's testimony because of his reported communications with Trump ahead of the siege, his efforts to get the former president to focus on Congress voting Jan. 6 to certify the 2020 presidential election results and his Jan. 5 comment that "all hell is going to break loose" the next day, the wire service also reports.