Steve Bannon Taken Into Federal Custody On Contempt Charges

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was taken into federal custody on Monday to face contempt charges over his refusal to cooperate with Democrats’ January 6 congressional investigation. He will appear before a judge later in the day.

The 67-year-old was indicted on Friday on two counts of criminal contempt – one for refusing to provide documents in response to the House committee’s investigation, and the other for refusing to appear for a congressional deposition.

Bannon surrendered himself to an FBI field office – where he briefly spoke with the press.

Steve Bannon turns himself in to the FBI after being charged with 2 counts of contempt of Congress. pic.twitter.com/wI3BNCoMyJ

— Rob Legare (@RobLegare) November 15, 2021

Steve Bannon has surrendered, and appeared to be streaming it live as he turned himself in to the FBI field office.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 15, 2021

Did he want this?

They have literally handed him a bullhorn and flame thrower. The Dems look like the cartoon characters constantly getting their faces blown up by exploding cigars, which they light themselves. Get the popcorn.

— Joseph Diaz (@EnriqueGMas1) November 15, 2021

Bannon isn’t the only former Trump adviser to defy the House – as Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows similarly ignored a subpoena on Friday.

As we noted last week:

The Biden DOJ has indicted former Trump adviser Steve Bannon over his refusal to cooperate with a congressional investigation of the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally.

Bannon was slapped with two counts – failure to appear to give testimony, and failure to produce “documents and communications,” or “provide a log of any withheld records.”

The move follows an October vote by the House of Representatives to hold Bannon in contempt Congress – alleging that he refused a subpoena to provide documents and testimony to the panel.

It has not gone unnoticed that former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress over his similar failure to turn over documents related to the Fast and Furious scandal.

Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress. No charges brought against him.

This is Soviet level show trial behavior. https://t.co/8ACaeRzilA

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) November 12, 2021

He was not alone…

Henry Kissinger
Janet Reno
Harriet Miers
Joshua Bolton
Eric Holder
Lois Lerner
Bryan Pagliano
Bill Barr
Chad Wolf

All held in contempt of Congress

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 12, 2021

But there appears to be a difference…

Different rules apply to Democrats.

Our side gets indicted. They make millions in the private sector.

The next GOP POTUS has to be much meaner than Trump. We need an absolute savage. pic.twitter.com/JugZhXU9vG

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) November 12, 2021

As the Epoch Times noted following the House ruling, the contempt resolution argued that Bannon has no legal standing to defy the subpoena.

Trump’s attorney, however, argued that Bannon shouldn’t comply because the requested information is protected by the former president’s executive privilege. Team Trump submitted a memo to Trump’s website announcing a “lawsuit to defend executive privilege.”

“The January 6th Committee is a partisan sham to distract Americans from the Democrats’ policies that are killing and robbing Americans,” the memo alleged.

The committee says it wants Bannon’s documents and testimony because he was in touch with Trump before the Jan. 6 incident, because he tried to get Trump to focus on the congressional certification of the election results, and because he said on Jan. 5 that “all hell is going to break loose” the next day.

In an October statement following the House resolution, former President Trump said:

“This is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt which started with the now fully debunked and discredited Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, quickly reverting to a perfect phone call with Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and now this. The Unselect Committee is composed of absolute political hacks who want to destroy the Republican Party and are decimating America itself,” adding “I am the only thing in their way.”

Ahhh so now Congress is an investigation agency. What a fucking joke this country is. We deserve everything that’s coming

— Brian (@FluffheadTrades) November 12, 2021

BuzzFeed has already published more stories about the Bannon indictment than about the Igor Danchenko indictment. https://t.co/dQUpIJ1O4B

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) November 12, 2021

And we give the final word to The Federalist’s Sean Davis, who, in his usual pithy and accurate way, sums up exactly what this evening’s action means for ‘We, the People’:

“This is nothing less than a declaration of war against the American people.

Think of all the Democrat FBI, DOJ, and IRA officials who lied under oath, or refused congressional subpoenas, and never received even a slap on the wrist.

America is now a third-world banana republic.“