If Atty Gen Merrick Garland does not act on the Steve Bannon referral by the House, will the House arrest Bannon and put him in jail?
I asked Google, “Can Congress arrest someone for ignoring a subpoena??
Google replied. It's a question that has popped up before. Viewers have reached out to the Verify team questioning how someone could simply ignore a Congressional subpoena.
Lewis Braithwaite, from Clinton, Md., reached out to voice his concern.
"Why are they not being penalized?" he asked.
Braithwaite was concerned that this was a double standard.
"When I get a subpoena, as a citizen, I better show up," he said. "If I don't show up, there's consequences. I'm either going to jail, there's a fine, or both."
Our Verify researchers turned to constitutional expert, Ilya Somin from George Mason University, and two reports from the Congressional Research Service.
Somin confirmed that Congress has three options to get someone to comply with a subpoena.
First, they could ask the U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia -- in this case, Jessie Liu -- to bring criminal contempt charges, which comes with a fine up to $100,000 and prison time.
In October, our researchers contacted Liu’s spokesperson, asking if they would bring charges against the Trump administration. They said "no comment."
Another option is for Congress to file a civil lawsuit in federal court. In this situation, a judge could order someone to comply with the subpoena.
The last option involves the Sergeant At Arms, who can be ordered by Congress to detain anyone who doesn't comply with a subpoena.
"That third option is rarely used," Somin said. "If I recall correctly it has not been used since the 1930s. But it could be, at least in principle."
So yes, we can verify that technically Congress can order someone to be arrested in order to comply with a subpoena.
The House doesn’t “Arrest” anybody. The DOJ does.
I will say this again and again. Unless Chumpboy faces charges for his crimes, then I better not hear about anyone being “Shocked” or “Surprised” the next time an atrocity happens. AND IT WILL!!
Not much would please me more than to see that traitorous scumbag have to spend the rest of his life in a cell.
If Chumptard didn’t pardon him he may very well have.
@CuddyCruiser Maybe he'll be brought up on State charges somewhere.
I hope.
@KKGator Somewhere down the road he will probably get himself in trouble again.