New January 6 subpoenas increase pressure on Garland to set an example with Bannon

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(CNN) - The House select committee probing the January 6 insurrection placed its credibility and legal clout deeper into the hands of Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday with a new flurry of subpoenas targeting cronies of ex-President Donald Trump.

For the committee to retain hopes of compelling testimony from the group, it may need the Justice Department to initiate a prosecution against another Trump adviser, Steve Bannon, who has already defied a subpoena. The former President's populist alter ego earned a rare contempt of Congress citation for his intransigence. But two-and-half weeks on, the department has yet to say whether it will act on that gambit and indict Bannon through the Washington, DC, US Attorney's office. Without such a move, the committee's enforcement capacity looks in serious doubt as it races to conclude before Democrats are at risk of losing the House of Representatives in next year's midterm elections.

There are no current and public signs that Garland is feeling pressure to act quickly. In fact, a deliberative process would comply with his effort to shield the department from politicization after Trump weaponized it to protect himself during a scandal-plagued presidency and in his effort to steal the 2020 election. But that also means the new batch of six Trump confidants, who have been subpoenaed for their alleged role in amplifying Trump's lie about election fraud or abetting his coup attempt earlier this year, have reason to replicate the obstruction, at least for now. And even if Bannon is prosecuted, a long process of court cases and appeals could bog down the committee in a legal nightmare.

Such a scenario would not only allow Trump aides to outwit the committee's efforts to find the truth about the most flagrant assault on a US election in modern history. It could gut the power of Congress in the future and limit its constitutional role of serving as a check and balance on the executive branch. And it would also mean that Trump, who incited a mob to march on Congress and disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden's election win, would escape a reckoning yet again, even as he and his party paper over his autocratic tendencies ahead of a likely bid for the 2024 GOP nomination. The refusal of Trump's orbit to submit to scrutiny is nothing new; it was a feature of both his impeachments, including over the insurrection earlier this year.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/09/politics/january-6-subpoenas-donald-trump-steve-bannon-merrick-garland/index.html

[dalton99a]

1. "Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent"

[durablend]

19. Might be political and hurt someone's fee-fees

[Walleye]

2. I don't think he understands they're going to accuse him of being partisan no matter what he does

He could’ve given all those rioters a pass, and the despicable Republicans would still have said he was politicizing the DOJ. We can’t really go by what they’re going to call us

[lagomorph777]

17. Right now, he's favoring the Insurrection Party.

I think that's partisan.

[Walleye]

20. That is a valid point.

[triron]

3. Use Inherent contempt! Stop pussyfooting around.

[MiHale]

4. This is going to be going on for years...

and years.

There are probably few in Congress and few in DC that want any “truth” to come out. It would expose too many individuals not only about 1/6 but even other crimes. Questions would lead to more questions rabbit holes would be deep. If exposed all faith in our government would be shattered so it’s better to delay, delay, misdirect, lie, cover-up.

People are losing interest the past fades quickly in America.

[lagomorph777]

18. No, it won't. Failure to prosecute will bring about a quick end to our democracy.

[CrispyQ]

5. This is why dems are perceived as weak.

And maybe we are. ???

[Beastly Boy]

6. Actually, it puts pressure on Garland to delay any decision on Bannon

It is almost certain that the subpoenaed individuals have dirt on Bannon, and it is likely that some of it, deliberately or inadvertenly, will surface during their depositions. This will strengthen Garland's case against Bannon.

[hamsterjill]

9. If he doesn't already have enough on Bannon

To put that rat bastard away, then there’s a real problem. Anything more or new should just be icing on the cake.

[Beastly Boy]

10. The diffeerence may be a strong case vs a weak case.

Or being able to gather evidence beyond Bannon's contempt charge. The stronger the evidence, the more chances there are for Bannon to spill the beans on Trump.
If Garland stops at contempt of congress charges, the worst that can happen to Bannon is a week in jail and a $1000 fine (or something like that. Not even enough time for Bannon to write his version of Mein Kampf It's a frigging misdemeanor.

Right now Garland has Bannon by the balls, at least as far as investigating him. Once Bannon is convicted, all investigation in this particular case must end. To get Bannon on the hook for something else and investigate him again will be a hell of an effort.

[hamsterjill]

13. Shall we bet a coke as to whether Bannon ever spends a night in jail?

"Right now Garland has Bannon by the balls"????? Sure doesn't look that way to me. Bannon is free, he's still doing his podcast stirring up the sheep masses, and he doesn't look worried.

People are tired of the bullshit excuses. We want action. It's not democracy when some are more equal than others and get away with things that most of us would be thrown in jail immediately for doing. Bannon has thumbed his nose at law and order more than once. If Garland is doing something, then he needs to let that be known. It's not that he's building some investigative file that needs to be kept secret from Bannon or the public. That's complete hogwash. Bannon knows full well what can and cannot be done and he's banking on the fact that Democrats play it safe. There is no need to keep anything "secret" about what charges can and cannot be filed. Bannon is savvy enough to already know and he knows what they have on him. He's just betting they won't use it.

[Beastly Boy]

14. He may not spend time in jail. He is facing a frigging misdemeanor, after all.

He may even be able to appeal his conviction or get an eventual pardon. But I will bet you a coke and large fries that he will be convicted. Of a frigging misdemeanor, legally equivalent to jaywalking. If your aspirations about Bannon's punishment don't extend beyond this, I am certainly willing to bet that your wishes will come true.

[hamsterjill]

15. So what do YOU think Garland is doing and

What he will charge Bannon with?

[Beastly Boy]

22. Garland himsel may not charge Bannon with anything.

It is most likely the DC Attorney General or the grand jury that will bring charges. I can only tell you with some certainty that Bannon will be charged with contempt of Congress. Any other charges depend on what Garland (and a whole lot of other investigators across the country) can find in the course of their investigations, how much of it falls under federal jurisdiction, and, when all is said and done, how willing Bannon will be to rat on his pals to save his skin, and vice versa. Too many variables to predict anything with certainty, but the potential is there.

So what is Garland doing? He is digging. Silently and methodically. And the more he digs, the more skeletons he is likely to find in Bannon's closet. Remember Watergate? It started with an investigation of a break-in at an office building.

[hamsterjill]

23. I hope you're right.

I sincerely do. But he had better move this along because the midterms may not turn out like we all want and then it’s going to all be over. Time is of the essence.

[Beastly Boy]

24. I hope so too.

Since none of us have any reliable information, my musings are pure conjecture. But they have some basis in past precedents. One thing I know is that the more Garland is pressured to rush through his investigation, the more likely he is to fail.

[Eyeball_Kid]

16. The DOJ has an obligation to respond to Congress' specific referral.

Doing otherwise would open the DOJ to exploitation of Congress. The DOJ doesn't need this referral to gather evidence for a series of Bannon indictments. The DOJ is flush with money to investigate Bannon to Mars and back. They don't need a Congressional referral to justify their investigations. But they DO need to take it one step at a time and respect Congress' referral for prosecution. I don't care if an indictment is comparable to "jaywalking". It's an indictment and puts pressure on Bannon to disclose or face more criminal prosecutions.

If there's anything positive that we can surmise about the DOJ right now, it's that they HAVEN'T issued statements declaring Bannon's indictment an improper use of DOJ resources. While we all want the show to address Trump's coup attempt in a concrete way, we can only anticipate what is in the works by what is NOT being said, IMO.

[malaise]

7. Lock him up

About time!

[njhoneybadger]

11. If the Rethugs get the house, have hearings, and subpoenas are ignored, people are going to jail.

I guess we will always have our sternly worded letters.

[BlueJac]

12. The US is becoming a laughing stock for all the world to see!

Come on Garland.

[UTUSN]

21. K& big R#5