Just nine House Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in voting to hold former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with subpoenas from the Jan. 6 select committtee seeking testimony and documents related to the Capitol riot, NBC News reports.
Select committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) were among the nine GOPers to approve the measure. Thursday's final vote was 229-202, with all Democrats moving in tandem.
The issue now moves to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether or not to bring criminal charges against Bannon. It's "a significant escalation in the Jan. 6 committee's efforts to enforce subpoenas against Trump allies who refuse to cooperate," writes Axios.
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"Steve Bannon has led us down this path by refusing to cooperate in any way with our investigation," Jan. 6 Committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said on the House floor ahead of the vote.
Contempt of Congress could result in a fine and a jail term of up to 12 months, notes The Wall Street Journal.
Earlier Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice "will do what it always does," should there be a successful referral. "We'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution."
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