In wake of Bannon indictment, Republicans warn of payback

[dutch508]

Star Member spanone (128,442 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216052631

In wake of Bannon indictment, Republicans warn of payback

GOP lawmakers say Democrats, by pursuing contempt charges against a Trump ally, are paving the way for them to go after Biden aides if they retake the House in 2022

Republicans are rallying around former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon after his indictment on charges of contempt of Congress on Friday, warning that Democrats’ efforts to force Bannon to comply with what they say is an unfair subpoena paves the way for them to do the same if they take back the House in 2022.

Bannon, like former president Donald Trump, has refused to comply with an order from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection to turn over records and testify about his actions leading up to the attack, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to stop the certification of President Biden’s electoral college win.

Bannon is expected to turn himself in to law enforcement Monday ahead of a court appearance that afternoon. Democrats and a handful of anti-Trump Republicans argue that the indictment was necessary to enforce subpoenas issued by the Jan. 6 committee to Trump associates who are resisting cooperation and to witnesses summoned by other congressional panels.

Many GOP leaders, however, are seizing on Bannon’s indictment to contend that Democrats are “weaponizing” the Justice Department, warning Democrats that they will go after Biden’s aides for unspecified reasons if they take back the House majority in next year’s midterm elections, as most political analysts expect.

Star Member no_hypocrisy (39,076 posts)

1. Republicans have been threatening "payback"

since Nixon.

Star Member PufPuf23 (7,401 posts)

31. The problem is that Republicans who misbehaved since Nixon have

not been called to task since Nixon.

Think Nixon and Watergate.

Think Reagan / GHWB and Iran-Contra and BCCI Bank.

Think GWB and his cabal of war criminals.

Now Trump.

I find recent moves on 1/6, the arrest of Bannon today, and some of the other information now coming out encouraging.

Star Member intrepidity (3,716 posts)

2. Huh, which Dems plotted to overthrow the govt?

Good luck with that "payback."

See, thing is, Dems have nowhere near as much to hide.

Star Member KS Toronado (4,643 posts)

3. I'd like to know when trumpers

are gonna start attacking anti-Trump Republicans, you'd think they hate them also.

Star Member thucythucy (6,360 posts)

4. Yeah, Ken Starr handled "Whitewater" with kid gloves

and the whole orgy of Benghazi "investigations" were the epitome of non-partisan decorum.

Also--I don't recall a single member of the Obama/Biden administration, either while in office or after leaving, downright refusing to appear to testify in response to a Congressional summons. I don't expect this to change under Biden/Harris.

What are they going to do: charge people with actually showing up and telling the truth?

 

Eric Holder.

Star Member nuxvomica (10,123 posts)

8. David Simas refused in 2014

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/us/politics/obama-official-wont-testify-to-congress.html

The White House said Tuesday night that it would refuse to allow its director of political strategy to testify Wednesday before a Republican-led House committee investigating whether the administration had illegally conducted political activity in the West Wing.

In a letter to Representative Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the president’s top lawyer said that as a member of the executive branch the political director, David Simas, had immunity from being compelled to testify before Congress
.

But he was a member of the Executive Branch at the time. Bannon can't claim that. And generally speaking, the Obama administration was much accommodating to congressional requests for testimony, including Secretary Clinton's marathon testimony at the Benghazi hearings.

HariSeldon (167 posts)

13. Holder refused

In June of 2012, Eric Holder -- then Attorney General of the United States -- was held in contempt of Congress by the Republican-led House of Representatives. Holder had refused to produce certain documents related to Operation Fast and Furious.

Star Member gab13by13 (5,326 posts)

10. Eric Holder voluntarily testified 9 times,

on Fast and Furious which was basically a political stunt on GOP's part.

 

Star Member jimfields33 (7,902 posts)

20. Eric holder told Repugs to go pound sand.

That was perfect because Repugs just stomped their feet and turned red. Lol.

Star Member DFW (44,622 posts)

11. With Hillary, the Republicans have already paid it forward

After what they did to her, just what drastic moves do they think they have up their sleeves, anyway? Dragging former staffers in for endless testimony? Well, if they have the majority, and it ties them up from doing even worse things, I suppose they should go right ahead and be as useless as we have always said they are.

Star Member GoCubsGo (27,674 posts)

21. Yeah, and not just Benghazi, either.

The whole Whitewater witch-hunt, alone, paid it forward by multiple centuries. Ditto for their McCarthy "commie" witch hunts.

Star Member malaise (238,520 posts)

22. ReTHUGs believe they are above the law

**** them!

Star Member The Wizard (11,472 posts)

27. I guess Repubics are not

the law enforcement party. An attempted coup d'etat is a serious and possibly capital offense. Maybe if Bannon had a stained blue dress and a mouthful of DNA evidence they'd want him jailed for contempt.

 

Star Member bluestarone (12,809 posts)

33. When the Democrats SUCCEED in their Jan. 6 investigation

Lot of these SAME RETHUGS should be in jail!

Star Member CousinIT (6,601 posts)

35. 2 things:

1. CONS weaponized the DoJ THEMSELVES under Trump and will again - no matter what happens with Bannon.
2. CONS ALWAYS project, accusing Democrats of that which THEY THEMSELVES are guilty.

 

[SVPete]

Short-term partisan abuses have long-term consequences. With all the crap he's doing now, LIEden's likely to get bit in his Depends starting in January 2023, and continually for the rest of his term.

Given the arrogance and incompetence of his MalAdministration, there's very likely to be a lot that could be found.

[Mr Mannn]

As usual the DUmmies completely miss the point of the OP.
Professing to be wise, they became as fools.