Defiant Bannon warns of 'misdemeanor from hell' for Biden

The Hill ^ | 11/15/21 03:11 PM EST | BY REBECCA BEITSCH -

[RandFan]

Ex-Trump White House adviser Stephen Bannon threatened to make the charges against him “the misdemeanor from hell” for the Biden administration as he exited his first court appearance after being indicted for defying a congressional subpoena.

The Department of Justice on Friday scored an indictment against Bannon after filing two charges of criminal contempt of Congress, saying the former Trump staffer failed to “comply in any way” for a request for documents and a deposition from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“I'm telling you right now, this is going to be the misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. ... We’re going on the offense,” Bannon, referencing the attorney general who brought the charges against him and the House Speaker, told reporters as he was leaving the courthouse.

“They took on the wrong guy this time; they took on the wrong guys.”

Bannon surrendered himself to federal authorities Monday and was released without bond, required to turn in his passport and submit to weekly check-ins with the court.

Bannon will be arraigned at a Thursday hearing, where he is expected to plead not guilty.

Though a misdemeanor, if convicted Bannon faces serious penalties. Each charge carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $100,000, meaning Bannon could be fined up to $200,000 and spend as much as two years in jail.

The Jan. 6 committee was seeking to speak with Bannon both due to his proximity to former President Trump and his efforts on planning leading up to the Capitol riot, including time spent in the “war room” at the Willard Hotel where the Trump team was organizing.

The House voted in October to refer Bannon to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, with House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) speculating Bannon would be willing to be a “martyr” for Trump’s cause.

“Mr. Bannon will comply with our investigation or he will face the consequences," Thompson said. "Maybe he’s willing to be a martyr to the disgraceful cause of whitewashing what happened on Jan. 6 — of demonstrating his complete loyalty to the former president.”

Bannon’s comments to reporters Monday suggest he may see himself in such a light.

“Not just Trump people and not just conservatives — every progressive, every liberal in this country that likes freedom of speech and liberty should be fighting for this case. That's why I'm here today: for everybody. I'm never going to back down,” he said.

Bannon bucked the committee after a lawyer for Trump directed him and other aides not to cooperate as it would violate his executive privilege.

The committee has argued Trump can make no such claim because the power to block documents and testimony before congressional committees can only be exercised by a sitting president.

Bannon, who worked for Trump for less than a year, was not a White House employee during the time period the committee seeks information on, something the committee says makes his executive privilege claim even more dubious.

But Bannon’s lawyer, former Trump impeachment attorney David Shoen, said Monday, “When the privilege has been invoked by the purported holder of privilege, he has no choice but to withhold the document. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”

“He didn’t refuse to comply. He made quite clear that if a court ordered him to comply, he would do that. But he had an obligation to honor the privilege.”

Shoen will also seek to argue that executive privilege can cover former employees even after they leave the White House.

“Office of Legal Counsel opinions make clear that it applies to discussions with former government officials. And that makes sense — it makes sense because we often see former officials kept in the loop that the president needs to consult with,” he said, referring to an office within DOJ that advises the attorney general on legal matters.

“That's what executive privilege exists for. So that people can speak freely with the president, talk about strategy matters and talk about national security.”

As Trump seeks to battle the National Archives to prevent the release of his documents to the committee — a process greenlit by Biden — a judge initially ruled in favor of the committee, suggesting former presidents have little power to claim privilege.

“Presidents are not kings and plaintiff is not president,” D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan last week in a decision appealed by the Trump team.

[tennmountainman]

I don’t understand what Bannon is saying.

[HYPOCRACY]

“Presidents are not kings and plaintiff is not president,” D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan last week in a decision appealed by the Trump team.

Yeah. District Judges think they are the kings.

[Dutch Boy]

I think what Bannon is saying is that he is going to do everything in his power to make this the most costly and difficult low level trial possible. It also looks like this will be the battlefield where he intends to damage Biden. Whether he can or not is another story.

[Texas Fossil]

If the #ComDems drag this full force, discovery will be interesting. Talk about opening a can of worms.

I have not read about Bannon’s legal team, but expect it is Trump’s legal team.

May God run the Evil ComDem Traitors directly into the Atlantic Ocean, without a life vest.

[Blueflag]

Discovery can be a wonderful tool that works both ways.

[nathanbedford]

We have three articles appearing very close together on this thread all of which are based on false premises that invest us with corruption.

The Rittenhouse trial is based on the false assumption that he is a white supremacist vigilante who has no right to undertake to protect private property or even to oppose leftist "protest." In effect, the would characterize many of the rights in the Bill of Rights as no constitutional justification for him to defend himself. Rittenhouse was to be prosecuted as a figure for what was wrong with the Bill of Rights.

The lies of the public health officials concerning Covid are exposed in the second article which has led to the corruption of our medical establishment, big Pharma, and our government, all resulting in loss of liberty for us.

This article deals with the false premise that the capital riot of January 6 was an "insurrection" that was aimed at overthrowing the Republic. That premise is false but it has led to corruption of our rule of law, the infringement of liberties of individuals in solitary confinement, the intimidation of the rest of us, and this politicization and weaponization of the Department of Justice against Steve Bannon.

It is ironic that the left is operating from these false premises when we understand that it is the left that is attempting to sell us on the idea that our Republic, our Judeo-Christian culture is a rotten and corrupt so that they can replace it with their new utopia. Their false premise is that America nothing but a false premise.

[bagster]

Bannon surrendered himself to federal authorities Monday and was released without bond, required to turn in his passport and submit to weekly check-ins with the court.

Big score for the derps and China. Maybe the actual goal.

Bannon has been running around the world organizing nationalism and anti-derp uprisings in many nations, most notably lately, China.

[Texas Fossil]

Yes. And Bannon often has a Cheshire Cat smile when he contemplates his next move.

[MayflowerMadam]

Bottom line: He’s going on the offense, exactly like he said. Fighting back. Will make life a living hell for Biden and company.

[Colo9250]

Question:

Did the House ever vote to refer Eric Holder to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution?

Does anyone remember?

[Psalm 73]

"It also looks like this will be the battlefield where he intends to damage Biden. Whether he can or not is another story."

Not a big Bannon fan, but do recognize he's no idiot - he will always have a card (or two) up his sleeve.

And the Left will not notice because they are blinded by rage and hate - I think he is setting them up. Bigly.

[unclebankster]

“We have three articles appearing very close together on this thread all of which are based on false premises that invest us with corruption.”

Good Post.

Glad I took the time to read it. Well done.

[OrioleFan]

Bannon’s show last night lit up Bennie Thompson, head of Nazi Pelosi’s kangaroo committee. He’s an insurrectionist. Also, Kamala is going after Biden for assigning her jobs she will fail at (like every job she has had ever had). Great show last night. More to come on Pelosi’s head kangaroo.

[Flavious_Maximus]

The US government is run by the Hutus and Tutsis. That’s where we are.

Notice the hardcore demonic tactics by Puppet Biden’s AG compared to the milquetoast Keebler Elf? And the media cheers him on while they condemned the slightest partisanship by Jeff Sessions.

[VTenigma]

What Bannon has said before is if the dems manage to pierce executive privilege this time that sets precedent for the future and the Biden administration executive privilege will be pierced by the next conservative house committee.

[FreedBird]

Bannon will get more air time. He will present the other side of the coin in the media.

[Lowell1775]

“Did the House ever vote to refer Eric Holder to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution?”

Neither Eric “the with”Holder nor “lying” Lois Lerner the IRS dragon lady were prosecuted by the Obammy DoJ.

https://www.wric.com/news/politics/bannon-indictment-defies-history-of-congress-contempt-power/

[ifinnegan]

“Their false premise is that America nothing but a false premise.”

They do no even believe in the U.S. They do not differentiate it from any other colony or settlement.

The call it the 1619 country.

They have successfully pulled off a coup and are running the Rainbow-Flag Cartel Party country.

They fly their flag at embassies and other places.

Biden has no clue and thinks he is president of the U.S. This actually was a serendipitous outcome for them.

[tennmountainman]

It’s this comment that I don’t understand “the misdemeanor from hell”.