Republicans in the House of Representatives are making efforts to keep Bannon out of prison

House Republicans Intervene in Steve Bannon’s Jan. 6 LawsuitHouse Republicans Intervene in Steve Bannon’s Jan. 6 Lawsuit House Republicans have announced their intention to intervene in Steve Bannon’s appeal of his four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Republican Rationale House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated that the House would submit an amicus brief to the federal court, withdrawing certain arguments that the House had made previously. This move aims to support Bannon’s claim that the House committee investigating the Capitol attack lacked legitimacy. Contempt of Congress Charge Bannon was charged with contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with the subpoena issued by the bipartisan House committee. A jury convicted him of the charge. GOP Subpoena of Biden Interview Recording Meanwhile, Republicans are also demanding that the Justice Department provide them with the audio recording of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur regarding the handling of classified documents. The Justice Department has only provided lawmakers with a transcript. House Lawsuit Against Justice Department In response to the Justice Department’s refusal to hand over the audio, Republicans announced that they would sue the department on Monday. They claim that the department edited the transcript to protect Biden. GOP Push for ‘Inherent Contempt’ Power Some Republicans are also supporting a resolution to revive the House’s dormant inherent contempt power, which allows the House to arrest individuals for ignoring subpoenas. Jordan’s Defense House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who also defied a Jan. 6 committee subpoena, defended the Republicans’ actions by dismissing the committee as a “joke.” Bannon’s Appeal Bannon has asked the Supreme Court to delay his prison sentence while a lower court considers his appeal. If the court denies the request, he will need to turn himself in next month.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans will intervene in Steve Bannon’s lawsuit as Donald Trump’s former adviser faces jail for defying a congressional subpoena.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced Wednesday morning that the House would consult with the federal court on Bannon’s appeal of his four-month prison sentence.

Bannon defied a subpoena from the bipartisan House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress by a rioting mob of Donald Trump’s supporters. The Justice Department prosecuted him for contempt of Congress and a jury found him guilty.

Bannon’s lawyers argued that the committee was not legitimate, in part because it had only two Republican members, and the House of Representatives, then under Democratic control, defended itself in a 2022 letter. Johnson said in a statement by e -mail that the House amicus brief would simply “withdraw certain arguments the House made earlier in the process.”

At the same time, Republicans are demanding that the Justice Department honor their subpoena for the recording of President Joe Biden’s interview with former special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s mishandling of classified documents after he left the vice presidency. The Justice Department provided lawmakers with a transcript of the interview but declined to hand over the audio.

Johnson announced that the House would sue the Justice Department on Monday.

“It has been admitted that they edited the transcript in some way and we need to know how,” Johnson said at a news conference on Wednesday.

In a lawsuit seeking the audio in a separate case, the Justice Department said the transcript was accurate but that “padding” and repeated words were omitted by the “trained professional court reporter” who created the transcript, and not by a government official.

The transcript showed that at one point during the interview, Biden appeared to be unable to remember the year his son Beau died of brain cancer without permission from aides, reinforcing concerns about Biden’s age.

The White House has said Republicans only want the audio for attack ads, while Republicans have suggested the Justice Department edited the already embarrassing transcript to somehow protect Biden.

In addition to taking the Justice Department to court, some Republicans are backing a resolution by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) to revive the House of Representatives’ long-dormant “inherent contempt” power, which in the past has been used to actually arrest people. government officials for ignoring subpoenas. Luna said she would force a vote on the resolution on Friday. It is likely that the House will introduce the resolution.

HuffPost asked House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — who also denied a Jan. 6 committee subpoena — whether it was strange for Republicans to reject Bannon’s subpoena while Garland pushed for their own subpoena to obey.

“No, because the January 6 committee was such a joke,” Jordan said.

Bannon asked the Supreme Court last week to delay his prison sentence while a lower court considers his appeal. If the court refuses, he will have to turn himself in next month.