Rep. Banks tells Speaker Johnson House GOP should support Bannon legal defense

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson to endorse any effort by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group to file an amicus brief in support of former White House strategist Steve Bannon’s appeal to the Supreme Court.

Bannon was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House January 6 Select Committee.

Banks argued in the letter that the committee violated House rules and "forfeited its subpoena authority."

Then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appointed 5 members to the committee, including Banks and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked Banks and Jordan from serving on the committee.
 
"The January 6th Committee tossed aside 200 years of congressional precedent, destroyed evidence, and repeatedly broke House Rules to carry out a political vendetta and cover up Nancy Pelosi and never-Trumper’s responsibility for the security disaster on January 6th," Banks said in the statement.

"It was a fake investigation, and Republicans should urge the Supreme Court to follow established precedent and throw away its illegitimate subpoenas," he added.

His letter was sent to Johnson on Tuesday.
 
Banks wrote in the letter that H.Res. 503 directed the committee chairman to issue subpoenas "upon consultation with the ranking minority member." Banks noted that committee lacked a ranking minority member.

"Given the Committee’s unprecedented, norm-shattering behavior, and partisan motives and structure, if you were to direct the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group to file an amicus brief in support of Mr. Bannon’s June 21, 2024, Emergency Application for Continued Release Pending Appeal to the Supreme Court, it would have my full support," he said.