U.S. House committee rejects Bannon 'privilege' argument in Jan. 6 probe

The U.S. congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol told Steve Bannon that it rejected his arguments for failing to cooperate with the probe, as the panel pursues a contempt of Congress charge against the long-time adviser to former President Donald Trump.

The U.S. congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol told Steve Bannon that it rejected his arguments for failing to cooperate with the probe, as the panel pursues a contempt of Congress charge against the long-time adviser to former President Donald Trump. Trump has claimed https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-sues-us-house-panel-investigating-jan-6-attack-court-document-2021-10-18 that materials and testimony sought by the Jan. 6 Select Committee are covered by executive privilege, a legal doctrine that protects the confidentially of some White House communications.

Bannon, through his lawyer, has said he will not cooperate with the committee until Trump's executive privilege claim is resolved by a court or through a settlement agreement. In a letter to Bannon's attorney dated Friday and seen by Reuters on Monday, Representative Bennie Thompson, the committee's chairman, dismissed Bannon's arguments.

The letter was first reported by the Washington Post. Thompson wrote that any assertion of executive privilege "will not prevent the Select Committee from lawfully obtaining the information it seeks."

The Select Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday evening to vote on a report recommending that the House cite Bannon for criminal contempt of Congress and refer him to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution. Bannon's attorney, Robert Costello, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

The attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters took place as Congress met to certify Democrat Joe Biden's election victory over Trump, delaying that process for several hours as then-Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress, staff and journalists fled. More than 600 people face criminal charges stemming from the event.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)