Tell Attorney General Merrick Garland to Prosecute Steve Bannon for Contempt of Congress!
Contact the Department of Justice via their comment line or web form.
Sample Message (use your own words)
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
I’m writing to ask that you prosecute criminal contempt charges against Steve Bannon to the full extent of the law. These are extraordinary times. Never before has America witnessed a president refuse to concede office peacefully. Never before have insurrectionists forced their way into the U.S. Capitol, threatening legislators, harming police officers, and damaging our seat of government. What happened on Jan. 6 was an organized crime against democracy, and Bannon’s public statements indicate that he was a witness to the planning of it, and possibly an active co-conspirator.
Beyond making laws, Congress has an informing function and a responsibility to determine abuses of and against our government. It cannot perform this duty without the ability to compel people to testify and turn over documents. Otherwise, it would only have access to information that those such as Bannon choose to turn over, allowing corruption to flourish. We would never accept those sorts of limitations on information in judicial proceedings — and even less should we accept them in congressional proceedings, where the interests of the entire nation are implicated.
As legal scholar James Landis wrote in 1926, “To deny Congress power to acquaint itself with facts is equivalent to requiring it to prescribe remedies in darkness.” Mr. Bannon’s refusal to cooperate with the select committee is an additional crime against our country and must have serious consequences, including imprisonment under 2 U.S. Code §§ 192 -194 & 18 U.S. Code Section 1505. The only privilege he should claim in this whole sorry affair is his fervent belief that he is above the law of a nation he openly despises.
Do not back down from this fight, Attorney General Garland. This man and his compatriots are more dangerous to the continuation of our country as a functional democracy than any foreign agent or government. Stopping them must be your highest obligation.