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What is at stake is nothing less than the ability of a separate, co-equal branch of government to hold the presidency to account now and in future generations.
Lawyers for the former President, who refused to accept his free and fair election defeat and who incited a mob that invaded the US Capitol seeking to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, made the outlandish claim that the committee — rather than Trump — was “attempting to damage the republic itself and the citizens of the United States.”
It is far from the first time that the ex-President has sought to cover up his own behind-the-scenes behavior during the most flagrant challenge to US democracy of modern times.
His latest obstruction offensive raises the obvious question of what exactly Trump and his acolytes are trying to cover up about the attempt to prevent a peaceful transfer of power and to steal an election that he lost. But his suppression of information and flurries of legal action are also familiar after four years of an administration that refused any accountability and that made a mockery of Congress’ constitutional oversight duty.
The potential criminal contempt filing against Bannon is intended not just to force the firebrand prophet of Trump-style populism to testify about his conversations with the former President in the days around January 6. It’s a principled stand since Bannon’s refusal to show up after being subpoenaed would potentially create a precedent that would shatter Congress’ capacity to investigate any executive branch officials or othes, even those not related to Trump.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California told CNN on Sunday that the contempt filing was designed to prove the investigation has teeth, and as a warning to other witnesses tempted to bow to Trump’s efforts to scupper it.
“The fact that if the Justice Department prosecutes Steve Bannon, other witnesses will see they will face real consequences including jail time and potentially stiff…
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Source : cnn
