We are inside the hearing room for the US House Select Jan 6 committee. Meeting on contempt of Congress report against Steve Bannon begins at 730pm.
(The gentleman on the right is committee staffer and former US Rep Denver Riggleman R-VA)
Leaders of the committee will give opening statements. Standby for that
You can watch along here:
Flagging this: Per court filing today, US House Jan 6 Select Committee will eventually seek testimony from at least one defendant in the Capitol riot. (At least one)
Defendant wants to do it, per defense lawyer
Later date (not happening tonight)
Meanwhile, here's the summons for House Jan 6 Select Committee chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) in the civil suit filed by Donald Trump
It's dated today
The committee "Business meeting" has begun
Chairman Bennie Thompson: "It brings me no joy that we've had to call this meeting"
Note the email from last month between Thompson and Steve Bannon's lawyer ===>
Thompson: "We won't take no for an answer"
Thompson says the committee expects US Attorney for DC will prosecute Bannon.
Thompson: "I want to make it clear how isolated Mr. Bannon is .. in his refusal to cooperate with (the committee)"
Thompson says committee has successfully secured many interviews, records...
"It's essential we get Mr. Bannon's factual and complete testimony"
Thompson: Bannon's defiance could encourage others to follow down his path
Bannon poses rhetorical question to viewers of meeting: "What would happen to you if you did what Mr. Bannon was doing?"
Thompson says Americans are being lied to about Jan 6. He says lies about the election "haven't gone away"... "now we have a key witness who is refusing to comply"
I’ve covered many Congressional hearings and meetings. This feels different. All Members are present. All looking straight ahead. None distracted, absent or appearing to dissent as chairman speaks.
Gives the image of “speaking with one voice”
Rep Liz Cheney (R-WY) is vice-chair & is speaking now. She's referencing Steve Bannon's Jan 5, 2021 statement that "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow"
Cheney: "The American people are entitled to Mr. Bannon's testimony"
"Preserving our Constitution and rule of law is the central purpose of this investigation"
Cheney: "What happened on January 6th was profoundly wrong"
"(Trump) has now urged Republicans not to vote in 2022 and 2024. This is a prescription for national self-destruction"
Committee is now reading through the committee report on whether to recommend House of Representatives find Bannon in Contempt of Congress..
Chairman Thompson says Bannon's lawyer yesterday requested one week to "assess Select Committee's request" in light of Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Committee filed Monday. Thompson: "We are not aware of any basis for your client's refusal to appear.."
ALERT: House Select January 6th committee *unanimously* approves report recommending US House find Steven Bannon in contempt of Congress
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NEW: In a blistering new order, federal judge Paula Xinis of Maryland says the Trump Administration is making "a willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations" in the court case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Judge Paula Xinis also finds the Trump Admin has "sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this court's orders" in Kilmar Abrego Garcia case
The judge's order also throws shade on the Trump Admin's claim Abrego Garcia is out of their control ... in Salvadoran custody
Judge: "Indeed, custody can be joint, and custodial status may be controlled by the Defendants acting in concert with El Salvador"
FLASH: Judge James Boasberg issues opinion on March 15 deportations
"The government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt"
The opinion from chief DC federal judge James Boasberg over the defiance of his order to "turn the planes around" for further review on March 15
Judge James Boasberg (more): "The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders — especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it. To permit such officials to freely 'annul the judgments of the courts of the United States' would not just 'destroy the rights acquired under those judgments'.. it would make 'a solemn mockery' of the constitution itself"
Justice Dept asked Maryland judge to delay today's 1pm hearing in the case of mistaken deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Judge Paula Xinis says "no". Parties must show at 1pm
Justice Dept submits court filing, arguing it can't meet judge's deadline for update on Kilmar Abrego Garcia by the judge's morning deadline
Filing: "Foreign affairs cannot operate on judicial timelines, in part because it involves sensitive country-specific considerations wholly inappropriate for judicial review"
Justice Dept (more) to judge:
"In light of the insufficient amount of time afforded to review the Supreme Court’s order following the dissolution of the adm. stay in this case, Defendants are not in a position where they 'can' share any information requested by the Court"
NEW: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is raising questions right now about Ed Martin, Trump's nominee to be US Attorney in Wash. DC
Durbin shows image of Martin tweet from Jan 6, 2021
Durbin: "Martin was at the Capitol on that dark day, when he posted 'Like Mardi Gras in DC today"
Sen. Durbin (more) about Ed Martin's nomination: "When leaders of the Oath Keepers, a domestic violent extremist organization, were prosecuted for seditious conspiracy for their role in planning the January 6 attack, Mr. Martin responded, quote, 'Oath Keepers are all of us”
Sen. Durbin (more) says he wants to question Trump nominee Ed Martin about Martin's "close relationship" with a January 6 rioter and alleged "antisemitic and racist Nazi sympathizer"
The Justice Department is seeking to drop its criminal case against a Virginia man, who was accused of being the “east coast leader” of the MS-13 gang, and whose arrest was announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a nationally televised press conference last month
(More)
Bondi had referred to Henrry Villatoro Santos as “one of the top members and head of the east coast” of the violent MS-13 gang during a March 27 news conference in Manassas, Virginia. Bondi had also described Villatoro Santos as being responsible for “very violent crimes, anything you can associate with MS13. He was the leader over it, all of the violent crimes.”
In a court filing Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia asked a judge “to dismiss without prejudice the criminal complaint presently pending against the defendant.” When asked for why the case was being a dropped, a spokesperson for Bondi responded with a clip of Bondi saying on March 27 that Villatoro Santos “won’t be in this country much longer”