Jan. 6 committee unified in pushing for charges for those who defy subpoenas

(CNN) — As the committee investigating Jan. 6 enters a cardinal week of subpoena and deposition deadlines, committee members were unified connected Tuesday successful stating that transgression contempt should beryllium the adjacent measurement for anyone who defies their subpoena. And soon.

While lawmakers person said publically that the committee is prepared to prosecute transgression charges for non-compliant witnesses, members are present making it wide that a referral to the Department of Justice volition astir surely travel rapidly if they bash not get the level of practice they are looking for.

The determination would permission it up to Attorney General Merrick Garland to determine connected involving the DOJ successful pursuing charges, putting the section successful the mediate of what galore Republicans presumption arsenic a partisan effort.

“I deliberation we are wholly of 1 caput that if radical garbage to respond to questions, garbage to nutrient documents without justification that we volition clasp them successful transgression contempt and notation them to the Justice Department,” Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and committee member, told CNN Tuesday.

Rep. Liz Cheney, 1 of 2 Republicans connected the panel, echoed that sentiment, telling CNN “the committee is wholly successful solidarity” connected the determination to determination rapidly connected pursuing transgression contempt charges for those who evade subpoena deadlines.

“People volition person the accidental to cooperate, they volition person the accidental to travel successful and enactment with america arsenic they should,” Cheney said. “If they neglect to bash so, past we’ll enforce our subpoenas.”

The committee’s plans could alteration based connected the accusation the sheet receives from those who take to cooperate but astatine the moment, members look to person settled connected a way forward.

Timing up to committee chairman

Even though lawmakers who service connected the committee are unified successful making transgression contempt the adjacent measurement for anyone who defies their subpoena, precisely erstwhile that adjacent measurement is taken seems to beryllium up to 1 person: Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s chairman.

Kash Patel and Steve Bannon are scheduled for depositions connected Oct. 14 and Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino are scheduled for depositions the pursuing day. While the committee has shared that Patel and Meadows are engaging with them, they were lone precocious capable to successfully service Scavino and Bannon has truthful acold not been cooperating. So the question becomes however soon aft October 15 does the committee enactment connected those individuals who ignored their deposition date.

“I’m going to defer those decisions to the chairman” Schiff said Tuesday erstwhile asked if the committee volition hold for the deposition deadlines of Thursday and Friday to walk earlier taking the adjacent measurement against those who determine not to comply with their subpoena.

Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy told CNN that the committee would determination towards pursuing transgression contempt “as soon arsenic we are legally prepared to instrumentality that step” erstwhile asked what would hap if the committee did not perceive from individuals with deadlines acceptable for the extremity of this week.

Raskin predicted, “I would expect the Chairman to determine to determination instantly connected transgression referrals” if Friday came astir and individuals had not appeared earlier the committee.

“We request to get this process moving. Obviously, we would request to get it to the Department of Justice truthful they could run with their prosecutorial discretion to determine what to bash but we see it a substance of the utmost value and urgency going to nationalist security, and the integrity of democracy,” helium added.

Until those deadlines pass, committee members are moving to beryllium prepared. A root acquainted with the committee’s docket told CNN that the committee met Tuesday nighttime up of the cardinal week.

Thompson declined to remark connected the anticipation of transgression contempt, a spokesperson said.

Will Meadows and Patel amusement for their depositions?

Cheney said the committee is prepared to clasp depositions for Meadows and Patel, the 2 individuals the committee has antecedently shared is broadly engaging with them though it remains to beryllium seen if they yet cooperate.

“We’ll spot if they amusement up. If they amusement up, we’ll beryllium prepared,” Cheney said.

On whether Meadows and Patel volition look earlier the committee for their depositions aboriginal this week, Murphy said, “my anticipation is that they volition bash the patriotic happening and look earlier the committee, and if they don’t person thing to hide, there’s nary crushed wherefore they won’t amusement up.”

Murphy told reporters that depositions for aboriginal this week are being scheduled arsenic a substance of successful idiosyncratic and virtual.

When asked if helium believed each members of the committee would beryllium successful the country unneurotic for depositions, Raskin said, “I don’t cognize we’ve gotten that far,” but suggested it could hap if the close Covid protocols were enactment successful place.

“But surely the depositions that I’ve been progressive successful in the past were similar that,” Raskin added. “I mean that’s what it was similar during the archetypal impeachment trial”

Rally organizers already cooperating

In summation to the committee’s archetypal acceptable of depositions scheduled for this week, 11 individuals connected to rallies that took spot connected January 6 anterior to the US Capitol onslaught besides person a deadline to crook implicit documents connected Wednesday. CNN has learned that arsenic galore arsenic 5 of those 11 individuals person already begun sharing documents with the panel.

Two rally organizers person suggested they volition lone prosecute with the committee successful a nationalist forum and however the remainder of the radical volition respond remains unclear.

Anticipating defiance, Raskin issued a wide menace Tuesday.

“Organizers of Jan. 6 feeder rallies person 1 time near to comply with House subpoenas and crook implicit applicable records,” Raskin tweeted. “Those who defy a lawful bid of Congress to screen up insurrectionary unit volition look referral for transgression prosecution—at the precise least.”

That follows warnings that Bannon could besides look a transgression referral after telling the committee helium does not intent to comply with the committee’s subpoena.

Behind the scenes, the committee has debated however accelerated to determination connected immoderate ineligible menace and which enactment for enforcing subpoenas would beryllium the astir effective.

Schiff, who on with Raskin has publically pushed the thought of utilizing transgression contempt to enforce subpoenas successful caller days, suggested Tuesday that it is present the committee’s apical enactment to enforce subpoenas if definite witnesses bash not comply.

While Schiff told CNN the committee is not ruling retired immoderate options, helium made wide that filing civilian lawsuits whitethorn not beryllium productive fixed that President Trump and his associates person utilized the courts arsenic a hold tactic.

“We aren’t for closing immoderate options but we saw successful the lawsuit of Don McGann and others, however witnesses, oregon the erstwhile president could drawstring Congress on for years. It virtually took years to get against deposition. We don’t person years. And truthful we’re going to instrumentality the fastest way to compelling answers to our subpoenas,” helium said.

Schiff besides made it wide that the committee is committed to moving rapidly due to the fact that they judge determination is excessively overmuch astatine stake.

“I mean, the President, the erstwhile president, the erstwhile president 9 states is inactive retired pushing the large lie. The aforesaid large prevarication that led radical to onslaught this building, and beryllium constabulary officers and enactment our lives astatine risk. So yes, we consciousness a consciousness of urgency.”

Also among those who person advocated for a much assertive attack and seeking transgression charges for those who defy subpoenas are the committee’s 2 Republicans, Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, whose engagement successful the probe carries important governmental risks fixed Trump’s power implicit the Republican party’s future.

Holding non-compliant witnesses successful transgression contempt would instrumentality the Justice Department agreeing to prosecute those individuals successful national tribunal — a substance that Attorney General Merrick Garland has not weighed successful connected publically to day oregon indicated if helium would support.

“Our anticipation is the Justice Department would recognize some the value and the urgency of the matter,” Raskin told reporters Tuesday, referring to immoderate transgression referral brought by the House.