Why Doesnt "Me Too" Apply to Democrats?

[webfact]

Key U.S. Democrat suggests contempt proceedings for Bannon

By Patricia Zengerle

 

FILE PHOTO: Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon speaks during a campaign event for Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Judge Roy Moore in Fairhope, Alabama, U.S., December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said on Tuesday the panel should begin contempt proceedings if Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, continues to refuse to testify in an investigation of Russia and the 2016 presidential election.

 

U.S. Representative Adam Schiff said the House of Representatives committee's subpoena remained in effect and Bannon's interview has been rescheduled for next week.

 

"Testifying before the special counsel does not obviate Mr. Bannon's obligations under the subpoena issued by the committee. Should Bannon maintain his refusal to return and testify fully to all questions, the committee should begin contempt proceedings to compel his testimony," Schiff said in a statement.

 

Schiff said Bannon's attorney informed the panel that the White House would not let him testify beyond 14 pre-approved yes-or-no questions.

 

Schiff said this "ban" on Bannon's testimony covered issues between Trump's election and inauguration, his time at the White House and communications with Trump since, even though Trump has not invoked executive privilege.

 

Committee Republicans said Bannon's appearance was postponed at the committee's initiative. "We look forward to having him before the committee once we can assure that he will be able to thoroughly answer all our questions without concerns regarding the scope of executive privilege," Emily Hytha, a spokeswoman for Republican Representative Mike Conaway, who has helped oversee the committee's Trump-Russia investigation, said in a statement.

 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment and neither did an attorney for Bannon.

 

Reuters reported on Monday that Bannon would not testify before the House committee on Tuesday, despite a subpoena requiring him to appear.

 

The panel wants him to appear again to follow up on a Jan. 16 appearance that failed to satisfy some of its members.

 

A source familiar with the situation said Bannon was expected to appear before Special Counsel Robert Mueller next week and would answer all of Mueller's questions.

 

House Intelligence is one of three congressional committees investigating Russia and the 2016 U.S. election, after U.S. intelligence agencies found that Russia attempted to influence the campaign on Trump's behalf.

 

Moscow denies meddling in the presidential election, and Trump denies any collusion between his associates and Moscow.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-07

[Silurian]

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

Reuters reported on Monday that Bannon would not testify before the House committee on Tuesday, despite a subpoena requiring him to appear.

 

Funny how the House suddenly becomes toothless in its ability to enforce a subpoena when it goes against WH wishes. Talk about obstruction of justice. It seems that anyone who has the backing of the WH can willfully go against the law without any repercussion what-so-ever. It must be nice to be above the law.

 

 

[Berkshire]

43 minutes ago, Silurian said:

 

Funny how the House suddenly becomes toothless in its ability to enforce a subpoena when it goes against WH wishes. Talk about obstruction of justice. It seems that anyone who has the backing of the WH can willfully go against the law without any repercussion what-so-ever. It must be nice to be above the law.

 

 

From the article:

 

[A source familiar with the situation said Bannon was expected to appear before Special Counsel Robert Mueller next week and would answer all of Mueller's questions.]

 

I believe Bannon wants to testify and tell all.  But he can't to the House Committee because he knows Nunes would run to the WH and tell Trump everything.  Bannon has the goods on Trump and would be crucified if he was truthful.  Additionally, the House Committee is so hopelessly partisan that nothing would come of it. 

 

But Bannon knows that if he testifies before Mueller, it will remain largely confidential and the Special Counsel will take action.  I'm surprised Schiff doesn't understand this.

Edited February 7, 2018 by Berkshire

[Silurian]

30 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

From the article:

 

[A source familiar with the situation said Bannon was expected to appear before Special Counsel Robert Mueller next week and would answer all of Mueller's questions.]

 

I believe Bannon wants to testify and tell all.  But he can't to the House Committee because he knows Nunes would run to the WH and tell Trump everything.  Bannon has the goods on Trump and would be crucified if he was truthful.  Additionally, the House Committee is so hopelessly partisan that nothing would come of it. 

 

But Bannon knows that if he testifies before Mueller, it will remain largely confidential and the Special Counsel will take action.  I'm surprised Schiff doesn't understand this.

 

I hope you are right about this. To me, it seems that Bannon is still trying to stay in the White House's good graces. Bannon had walked back several negative remarks and appears to be trying to wiggle his way back into the WH somehow. Bannon has lost much political capital and might not be willing to cooperate with Mueller as that would be seen as further betrayal of Bannon's beliefs and supporters. I'm not sure if he is willing to risk the rest of his political career by testifying truthfully (or fully) with Mueller.

 

[Berkshire]

4 minutes ago, Silurian said:

 

I hope you are right about this. To me, it seems that Bannon is still trying to stay in the White House's good graces. Bannon had walked back several negative remarks and appears to be trying to wiggle his way back into the WH somehow. Bannon has lost much political capital and might not be willing to cooperate with Mueller as that would be seen as further betrayal of Bannon's beliefs and supporters. I'm not sure if he is willing to risk the rest of his political career by testifying truthfully (or fully) with Mueller.

 

Bannon is sort of a weasel and I never trusted the guy.  But it was mostly from that Fire and Fury book that we learned what Bannon was really thinking.  You're right that he's lost most of his political capital.  I'd say he's pretty much lost it all.  So the guy has nothing to lose...?