Kevin McCarthy calls Steve Bannon subpoena 'invalid'

Ahead of a scheduled House vote to hold Steve Bannon, who was an adviser to former President Donald Trump, in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy argued that subpoena is “invalid.” 

“Issuing invalid subpoena weakens our power, not if somebody votes against it,” McCarthy said at a press conference.

Earlier this week, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol voted to hold Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with their subpoena. The full House will vote on the matter Thursday. Republican leadership has advised its members to vote against the measure.

Bannon, through his lawyer, told the committee he would not comply with their subpoena, citing “executive privilege,” which protects certain communications within the executive branch from the legislature or the courts. Legal experts have called this argument into question, as Bannon was not working within the administration the day of the riot and was therefore a private citizen.