Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that Congress should use their “inherent contempt power” to confine former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Mark Meadow for defying subpoenas from the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
Lieu said, “The January 6 committee is a bipartisan committee from the House of Representatives. You can’t just ignore this committee, which is what Meadows is doing. Any witness that does that will be held in contempt. Congress is going to hold Meadows in contempt, and that’s the appropriate step. It’s not because it’s Mark Meadows. It’s because you can’t under American law and ignore a valid congressional committee. ”
He added, “I am absolutely concerned, which is why I have legislation that will allow the House of Representatives to execute inherent contempt power. It’s a power the Supreme Court has upheld. We can use it to find witnesses or put them in confinement. It’s time we use that because right now, the trial for Steve Bannon, for example, was not set until August. For Mark Meadows, probably further. And when he can delay enforcement subpoenas that long and — it renders them meaningless. I highly urge the House legal counsel to reverse course because their strategy has not worked. Congressional subpoenas have been rendered largely meaningless.”
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