Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., was not surprised by Steve Bannon's guilty verdict from Friday, a misdemeanor charge for contempt of Congress.
From the onset of the House select committee hearings for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, Norman says the Jan. 6 panel has been deliberately targeting those close to former President Donald Trump.
"There's no surprise with Bannon," Norman told Newsmax on Friday afternoon, while appearing on "American Agenda."
Regarding Bannon's refusal to provide testimony to the Jan. 6 panel, Norman believes Bannon didn't comply "because he knows this is all a dog-and-pony show. This is all an attempt to smear President Trump, and to attempt that he doesn't run for president [in 2024]. Democrats are scared to death that he can win."
To drive home his point, Norman noted how other prominent Republicans refused to testify before the Jan. 6 committee; and yet, only Bannon had been forced into a courtroom over the matter.
"[Bannon] made a judgment call, and he'll have to pay whatever penalty is doled out," says Norman, who oversees South Carolina's 5th District, which covers the northwest corner of the state, just west of Spartanburg and Columbia.
"[The Democrats] are after President Trump; and they're trying to get him disgraced and disbarred [from running for president again], and the timing of this — Democrats have known about [Bannon's case] for a year and a half — I think it's going to fail."
Regarding the November midterm elections, Norman notes how congressional hearings can be a two-way street.
In other words, if the Republicans overtake the House in less than five months, it's quite possible that a number of Democrat leaders will be subpoenaed for sworn testimony on any number of issues.
Norman's problems with the Jan. 6 panel are connected to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The House Speaker "ignored" the GOP leadership's request to put Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on the Jan. 6 panel, "because [Democrats] wanted to hand pick their own committee members who are partisans against President Trump," said Norman, a thinly veiled shot at Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. — two Republicans who have previously butted heads with Trump — serving on the House committee.
"That's not what I call a fair trial," says Norman.
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