Adam Kinzinger Threatens Trump Allies For Ignoring Jan. 6 Subpoenas

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During an appearance on CNN this week, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) — a member of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot — laid out the seriousness underlying that committee’s pursuit of the truth. In short, he explained that the committee is prepared to undertake “more of what you’re going to see with Steve Bannon” if other witnesses take an approach similar to Bannon’s and resist subpoenas from the panel. Citing Trump’s claims of executive privilege, Bannon has refused to provide documents or testimony to the committee, and this week, the riot investigation committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), announced that criminal contempt proceedings would be launched against him.

The criminal contempt proceedings begin, in part, with the adoption of a report outlining the issue by the committee itself. That’s then voted on by the full House, and — assuming it’s adopted — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) then formally dispatches the matter to the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, Kinzinger also said on CNN that a subpoena of Trump himself from the committee is not an impossible scenario. He pointedly commented as follows:

‘Hopefully, if people misinterpret anything else, interpret this: we’re serious about this. And anybody that is either being subpoenaed now or will be in the future, think twice before you reject a lawful order from Congress… The American people deserve to know the truth. And even if they don’t want to know the truth today — some folks want to put their head in the sand, what matters, I think, more than anything is in ten years, what is the truth? What is understood? And I think that’s why the work we’re doing is so important.’

Referring to engagement with the committee on the part of witnesses including former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Defense Department official Kash Patel, Kinzinger added the following:

‘That could be a delay tactic. In fact, it quite very well may be a delay tactic. But it is important for us, I think, to engage in good will. But I’m going to tell you, our patience is not infinite and in fact, if we start to sniff that this is in fact a delay tactic, I think you can expect, in essence, more of what you’re going to see with Steve Bannon.’

Watch Kinzinger below: