The Only Way Steve Bannon Does Not Go to Jail Is If BLAG Votes, Says Rep. Matt Gaetz
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) claims there’s a get-out-of-jail-free card for Trump ally and convicted criminal Steve Bannon. Appearing on “The Tim Pool Daily Show,” the Florida congressman outlined a strategy for the conservative host of the “War Room” podcast to avoid surrendering on July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.
“I believe the only way Steve Bannon does not go to jail is if there is a vote at an entity called ‘BLAG,'” Gaetz said, referring to the “Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group,” which “speaks for, and articulates the institutional position of, the House in all litigation matters.”
Gaetz explained that Republicans hold a 3-2 majority in this small congressional group, which includes Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA).
Bannon, who has already filed a request for emergency relief to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington to remain free from prison, is likely to file legal documents urging this small group of leaders to determine that the January 6 Committee “was illegitimate,” according to Gaetz.
He noted, “It was illegitimately formed, it was a runaway committee, it did not have a proper minority member, and whether it’s Peter Navarro or Steve Bannon—nobody, nobody should be sitting in a jail cell because they would not comply with the absurd musings of a committee unlike any before in our nation’s history.”
Bannon’s effort essentially hinges on staving off incarceration by relying on the GOP majority in BLAG. Gaetz believes they will succeed by making it the “official view of the House of Representatives that the January 6 Committee was illegitimate.” The House Select Committee, composed of Democrats and Republicans, was tasked with investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
As Bannon continues his legal maneuvers, Gaetz’s comments underscore the political maneuvering surrounding the fallout from the January 6 investigation. By appealing to BLAG, Bannon and his supporters aim to invalidate the committee’s authority and, consequently, the legal basis for his contempt conviction.
This potential intervention by BLAG highlights the ongoing partisan battles over the legitimacy and consequences of the January 6 investigation. As Bannon’s case unfolds, the political and legal implications of Gaetz’s proposed strategy will likely attract significant attention from both supporters and critics.
The debate over the January 6 Committee’s legitimacy and Bannon’s fate reflects broader divisions within Congress and the country. The outcome of this effort could set a precedent for how future congressional investigations are conducted and challenged.
