Congress is currently holding Steve Bannon, a former strategist under the Trump administration and former executive chairman of Breitbart News, in contempt for his refusal to testify his involvement in the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. On October 28, the House voted 229 to 202 in support of Bannon’s criminal prosecution, and his conviction will be determined by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
On January 6, thousands of people marched on Capitol Hill in protest of President Joe Biden’s victory, claiming the election was illegitimate. Protesters broke into the Capitol Building, attacked policemen, vandalized parts of the building, and undermined American democracy. In response, the Biden administration formed a team to investigate the protestors and the governmental support that encouraged them. It was found that Bannon told President Trump to use the January 6 protests as a tool against Biden. Bannon also helped plan the Trump Saves America rally that preceded the protest.
Bannon was subpoenaed in September and expected to be present in court earlier in October. He refused to comply with the subpoena on account of President Trump’s supposed executive privilege, saying that he is “legally unable” to testify. Executive privilege allows for the president or members of the executive branch to keep information confidential for the benefit or safety of the country. The investigative committee did not accept this claim, as the actions of Trump and his advisors were unconstitutional and Bannon was no longer one of Trump’s government officials at the time of the insurrection. If the DOJ also finds his claim of executive privilege insufficient, Bannon could face up to a 100,000 dollar fine or year in prison