Republican members of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have announced that they will file an amicus curiae brief in favor of the former Trump adviser in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Steve Bannon’s appointment.
Group leaders under the leadership of the speaker Michael Johnson (R-La.) will file a legal brief in support of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s appeal of his conviction for contempt of a Jan. 6 select committee subpoena.
The former Trump adviser was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022 after refusing to submit to an interview with the panel and turn over documents. He is appealing the case to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Bannon – the asked to report to prison for a four-month prison sentence until 1 July – has also lodged an urgent complaint before the Supreme Court last week to stay out of prison while he appeals his conviction.
Technically, the mandate comes from a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives, although the decision in this case was, as expected, strictly along party lines:
The bipartisan House Judicial Advisory Group – a group of the House composed of the speaker and the leaders and whips of the majority and minority parties in the House that guides the chamber in setting legal opinions – voted along party lines to submit an amicus curiae brief to the appeals court in the Bannon matter, Republican leadership confirmed Wednesday morning.
“The amicus curiae brief comes after Bannon filed a motion for a rehearing before the full Court and will not support either party,” said House Majority Leader Johnson. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said in a joint statement. “It will withdraw certain arguments previously raised by the House in litigation over the organization of the Select Committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol during the previous Congress. House Republican leadership continues to believe that Speaker Pelosi abused her authority in organizing the Select Committee.”
Speaker Pelosi has, in setting up the special committee ignored the Republican nominations in the House of Representatives of members to this body and appointed Republicans of their choice instead.
See also: BREAKING NEWS: Steve Bannon will begin his four-month prison sentence on July 1
Two levels: Court rejects Steve Bannon’s request to postpone his prison sentence, must report for a four-month prison sentence on July 1
Spokesman Johnson said:
“We are working to file an amicus curiae brief in his appeal because we believe the January 6 committee was improperly constituted,” Johnson told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “We believe the work was tampered with. We believe they may have covered up evidence and perhaps even more nefarious activities.”
“We have investigated the committee itself; we don’t agree with how Speaker Pelosi put all this together; we believe it violated the rules of the House,” he continued. “And so we’re going to bring that to the attention of the court, and I think it will help Steve Bannon in his calling.”
At this stage, it is unlikely that there will be any consequences for anyone involved in setting up the J6 Committee.
Importantly, Attorney General Merrick Garland was also charged with contempt of Congress in early June for refusing to release audio recordings of President Biden’s interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur in the classified documents case.
So far on RedState: Department of Justice to Speaker Johnson: No prosecution of Merrick Garland for contempt of Congress
The Justice Department, which Garland heads, declined to prosecute.
This is an evolving case. We will continue to monitor it and update you as needed.
