Here it comes: Steve Bannon had better start looking over his shoulder for US Marshals
Even as far too many media pundits continue to complain that we’re on “day five” and the January 6th Committee “isn’t doing anything” about those who have defied subpoenas, it turns out literally none of that is true. First of all, we’re not on day five of anything; the final (secondary) deadline on the subpoenas is actually tomorrow. And now the committee is revealing what’s going to happen once the actual deadline arrives.
Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, who sits on the January 6th Committee, publicly confirmed during an MSNBC appearance earlier today that US Marshals will be sent after Steve Bannon and others if that’s what it takes in order to get them to comply.
Let’s be clear here: this isn’t a movie, so Tommy Lee Jones won’t be sent out at 12:01am to look for Bannon in every outhouse, barn house, and henhouse (you’ve either seen “The Fugitive” or you haven’t). This process will happen on a realistic, legally viable timeline. But it’s more clear than ever that the committee isn’t screwing around.
As for those observers asking why they’re “still having to wait” to see action out of the committee, it’s worth reiterating that while the document deadline on the subpoenas was last week, the testimony deadline is later this week. You can’t ask the committee to use a time machine. This isn’t “Back to the Future.”
But in a reminder that the January 6th Committee is in fact being aggressive and that its tactics are making progress, Reuters is reporting that Mark Meadows and Kash Patel are cooperating and are scheduled to give depositions to the committee this week. It goes to show that the committee is in fact making real world progress, even as Twitter fantasy land yells around about how the committee “isn’t doing anything” and how the bad guys are “getting away with it all.”
In any case, assuming Steve Bannon doesn’t cave at the last minute, he’ll now have to start looking over his shoulder for US Marshals. It’s also worth noting that while Bannon is trying to act like he’s arrogantly thumbing his nose at this subpoena, that’s not what’s happening. He’s under confirmed criminal investigation in New York, and if he testifies to the House, New York prosecutors can use that testimony in their criminal case against him. Bannon is cornered and in a no-win situation. No one here is “getting away with” anything.
