The committee unanimously adopted a report on Tuesday evening (local time) finding Bannon’s disregard for Congress. In a next step, the House of Representatives, dominated by US President Joe Biden’s Democrats, has to vote on it before the case goes to court. Bannon was Republican Donald Trump’s chief strategist for the first few months of his presidency.
Bannon had failed to comply with a summons before the committee on Thursday last week. He invoked the president’s prerogative to withhold certain information from Congress or courts – the so-called executive privilege. The report that has now been adopted says that even if Trump could use this privilege, Bannon would not be relieved of his duty to testify before the committee. Bannon’s refusal has no legal basis and violates legal provisions.
The committee in the US House of Representatives is to investigate the background to the attack on the Capitol. Supporters of Trump stormed the seat of the US Congress in Washington on January 6th. Five people were killed, including a police officer. Bannon is suspected of having prior knowledge of plans for violent protests. The day before the storming of the Capitol he had said in his podcast: “Tomorrow all hell breaks loose.”