In the coming months, there is little doubt that our nation will be inundated with news coming out of the select committee on January 6th, and that the corrosive divide of our nation will once again be ramping up.

The committee, which many within the Republican Party have written off as a partisan attempt to damage Donald Trump’s chances at reelection in 2024, has already turned bold this week, forcing a vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of court, despite the former Trump adviser’s insistence that he is simply awaiting a court ruling on a claim of executive privilege before proceeding.

Now, in a bizarre twist to the tale, anti-Trump Republican Liz Cheney, who serves on the embattled committee, is now accusing Jim Banks, a fellow Republican who is no longer a part of the group, of fraudulently presenting himself as the ranking member of the select committee.

The revelation came as the House debated whether to hold Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, in criminal contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena from the select committee. As vice chairwoman of the panel, Cheney managed debate for those arguing in favor of doing so, and Banks, who is not on the committee, managed debate for those arguing against.

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After Banks’s opening statement, Cheney responded with a surprise.

“I would like to introduce into the record a number of letters to federal agencies dated Sept. 16, 2021, for example, signing his name as the ranking member of the committee he’s just informed the House he’s not on,” Cheney said.

One of the letters Cheney entered into the record, shared with the Washington Examiner, showed that Banks explained that he was not on the committee but identified himself as “ranking member” under his signature.

The news will almost certainly stoke tensions between the two parties, while also muddying the already-tainted reputation of the committee itself.

In the coming months, there is little doubt that our nation will be inundated with news coming out of the select committee on January 6th, and that the corrosive divide of our nation will once again be ramping up. The committee, which many within the Republican Party have written off as a partisan attempt to damage Donald Trump’s chances at reelection in 2024, has already turned bold this week, forcing a vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of court, despite the former Trump adviser’s insistence that he is simply awaiting a court ruling on a claim of executive privilege before proceeding. Now, in a bizarre twist to the tale, anti-Trump Republican Liz Cheney, who serves on the embattled committee, is now accusing Jim Banks, a fellow Republican who is no longer a part of the group, of fraudulently presenting himself as the ranking member of the select committee. The revelation came as the House debated whether to hold Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, in criminal contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena from the select committee. As vice chairwoman of the panel, Cheney managed debate for those arguing in favor of doing so, and Banks, who is not on the committee, managed debate for those arguing against. After Banks’s opening statement, Cheney responded with a surprise. “I would like to introduce into the record a number of letters to federal agencies dated Sept. 16, 2021, for example, signing his name as the ranking member of the committee he’s just informed the House he’s not on,” Cheney said. One of the letters Cheney entered into the record, shared with the Washington Examiner, showed that Banks explained that he was not on the committee but identified himself as “ranking member” under his signature. The news will…

Despite the constant, flimsy affirmations of bipartisanship coming from deep within the Democratically-led select committee on January 6th, there is little doubt among much of the GOP that the entire process is rigged to vilify former President Donald Trump.

They see the work of the committee as a charade, and as an attempt to conjure a re-do of Trump’s second impeachment trial, this time with Nancy Pelosi calling the shots instead of Mitch McConnell.  And, more worrisome still is the ferocity with which they’ve been taking action, attempting to hold close Trump confidantes in contempt of court.

Steve Bannon is the first such target, after he communicated his concerns that no court had yet ruled on the claims of executive privilege being made by the former President.  Nevertheless, the House of Representatives took up a vote to hold him in contempt, and the results were shocking to many members of the GOP.

There were a few Republicans Thursday who surprised observers when they voted in support of holding former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress and referring him to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution.

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Prior to the vote, four Republicans were considered a lock to approve the criminal referral, according to Capitol Hill sources: Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.

But then…

The remaining five Republicans included three who voted for impeachment — Peter Meijer of Michigan, John Katko of New York and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington — and two House Republicans who did not vote to impeach Trump: Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

The surprising results of the vote could act to embolden the already-fraught committee, and may force Trump and his other allies to bolster their defenses.

Despite the constant, flimsy affirmations of bipartisanship coming from deep within the Democratically-led select committee on January 6th, there is little doubt among much of the GOP that the entire process is rigged to vilify former President Donald Trump. They see the work of the committee as a charade, and as an attempt to conjure a re-do of Trump’s second impeachment trial, this time with Nancy Pelosi calling the shots instead of Mitch McConnell.  And, more worrisome still is the ferocity with which they’ve been taking action, attempting to hold close Trump confidantes in contempt of court. Steve Bannon is the first such target, after he communicated his concerns that no court had yet ruled on the claims of executive privilege being made by the former President.  Nevertheless, the House of Representatives took up a vote to hold him in contempt, and the results were shocking to many members of the GOP. There were a few Republicans Thursday who surprised observers when they voted in support of holding former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress and referring him to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. Prior to the vote, four Republicans were considered a lock to approve the criminal referral, according to Capitol Hill sources: Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio. But then… The remaining five Republicans included three who voted for impeachment — Peter Meijer of Michigan, John Katko of New York and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington — and two House Republicans who did not vote to impeach Trump: Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The surprising results of the vote could act to embolden the already-fraught committee, and may force Trump and his other allies to bolster their defenses.