Rep. Thomas Massie has introduced a proposal that could head off Steve Bannon’s impending prison sentence.
His plans include urging Speaker Mike Johnson to quash congressional subpoenas issued against Bannon and formally deny what he calls a “J6 witch hunt.”
This follows a recent decision by a Washington, D.C., judge to deny Bannon’s appeal and give him until July 1 to surrender to prison.
The ruling, by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, denied Bannon’s request for probation while he prepares to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bannon was convicted of failing to comply with a subpoena issued by a sham House committee investigating the events of January 6, an action he defended by citing President Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
Bannon has steadfastly refused to provide documents, arguing that this executive privilege has been in place for more than 250 years, dating back to George Washington’s presidency.
Mike Davis, a former staffer to Justice Gorsuch and a regular guest on Bannon’s show “The War Room,” stressed last month that “the president must accept candid advice from his advisers without fear of congressional reaction or imprisonment.”
Responding to the situation, Rep. Massie suggested Speaker Mike Johnson could play a key role in preventing Bannon from going to jail.
He wrote on social media, “Mike Johnson, why don’t we quash the congressional subpoena against Steve Bannon and formally repudiate the J6 Commission through a congressional vote?”
.@SpeakerJohnsonwhy don’t we quash the congressional subpoena against Steve Bannon and formally repudiate the J6 Commission through a congressional vote?
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 7, 2024
In another post, Massie urged Americans to express their concerns directly to Johnson. He commented: “#1. He’s not going to do it just because it’s a good idea. He has to listen to what the American people have to say. You can sit on your couch, pick up your phone and call.
He also criticized Johnson for canceling a workday in Washington due to the anniversary of D-Day at Pelosi’s request, saying, “#2. We only had three days in Washington this week. Johnson canceled today event because Pelosi asked him to cancel because it was the anniversary of D-Day.
#1. He doesn’t do it just because it’s a good idea. He must listen to the American people. You can sit on your couch and just pick up your phone and call.
#2. We were only in Washington for three days this week. Pelosi asked Johnson to cancel today’s event because of the anniversary of the D-Day landings.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 7, 2024
