Bannon summoned members of the commission on January 6

Lawyers for former Trump adviser Steve Bannon are seeking testimony and documents from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and other lawmakers, including committee members, on Jan. 6, according to documents reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: The pressure comes ahead of the July trial of Bannon, who was accused of disrespecting Congress after refusing to testify about his own talks with the former president before the attack on the Capitol.

• Experts said efforts to force members of Congress to testify are unlikely to succeed.
• The move, first announced by CNN, also shows Bannon and other Trump aides interested in counterprogramming the commission’s investigation ahead of a June 9 public hearing.

What we are looking at: Bannon’s team told Axios that last week they called all nine members of the House of Representatives committee, as well as three committee members, House Chief Counsel Douglas Letter, Pelosi, and the House of Majority Jim Clayburn (DS). C.) and House Majority Leader Steni Hoyer (D-Md.)

• They are looking for a number of documents, including those related to internal discussions and documents as part of the January 6 investigation.

What they say: Dania Perry, a former deputy attorney general in New York and a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, told Axios that summonses to members of Congress and their staff “are likely to be revoked quickly” because of shields for documents and testimony according to the speech or debate clause of the Constitution.

• However, Perry said, some minor exceptions could be argued, including marketing materials for books by Republican Representative Jamie Ruskin (D-Md.) And Adam Schiff (D-California).
• David Schoen, Bannon’s lawyer, told Axios that Ruskin and Schiff “now have a vested interest, whether financial, reputational or personal, in ensuring that the commission’s conclusions are in line with their books.” We cannot have this kind of commission. “
• A spokesman for the commission on January 6 did not respond to requests for comment. Speakers from Pelosi, Hoyer and Clayburn did not respond immediately to requests for comment.