House to vote Thursday on holding Bannon in contempt

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) says the House will vote Thursday on holding former President Trump’s ex-strategist Stephen Bannon in contempt for defying a congressional subpoena. 

In a statement Tuesday, Hoyer said the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol had voted to ask the House to cite Bannon for contempt after he refused to abide by the subpoena and answer questions before the panel.

The Jan. 6 committee voted Tuesday to refer Bannon to the Justice Department for criminal charges in response to his refusal to speak with the committee.  

The panel released a criminal contempt report on Monday that showed the committee repeatedly asking Bannon to comply with its investigation, just to be turned down by Bannon’s attorney, Bob Costello, multiple times. 

“To that end, the Committee has rightfully voted to ask the House to cite him for contempt of Congress. Consequently, the House will consider a resolution on the Floor on Thursday to do so,” Hoyer said in his statement. 

“I thank Chairman [Bennie] Thompson [D-Miss.] and Vice Chair [Liz] Cheney [R-Wyo.] for their stewardship of this bipartisan Committee as it seeks to shed light onto that day of infamy,” he added.

Hoyer also said that it is important for Bannon to testify since he can help the committee “answer those questions” leading up to the deadly riot. 

“We must get to the bottom of the January 6 attack, including what former President Trump knew and when, what decisions were made by the White House while the attack was underway, and if its perpetrators had any help or guidance from inside the building or from within the Trump Administration,” Hoyer said. 

“Mr. Bannon can and must help answer those questions so that the American people can learn the whole story. He owes it to his country to testify,” he added.