Schiff predicts Bannon's indictment will serve as a warning shot to other subpoenaed Jan. 6 witnesses


Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) thinks Stephen Bannon's indictment will kill two birds with one stone.
Bannon, one-time chief strategist to former President Donald Trump, was indicted on Friday on contempt of Congress charges, after he refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Schiff, who is on the House panel, argued to NBC on Sunday that the indictment will likely push other witnesses to comply with their subpoenas.
"Now that witnesses see that if they don't cooperate, if they don't fulfill their lawful duty when subpoenaed, that they too may be prosecuted, it will have a very strong focusing effect on their decision-making," said Schiff, per Politico. "So it's very positive. I view this as an early test of whether democracy was recovering."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Justice Department reportedly moved remarkably fast to indict Bannon, escalating the battle to compel him to testify before the committee and provide documents related to his knowledge of the Capitol riot. Schiff said "without a doubt" this action "influenced other witnesses." Bannon is expected to self-surrender on Monday to law enforcement, reports Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’
Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Trump: Demanding the prosecution of his political foes
Feature Trump orders Pam Bondi to ‘act fast’ and prosecute James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff