WATCH: Former Trump Spox Alyssa Farah Blasts Aides Defying Jan. 6 Subpoenas
Former Trump White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah said Saturday that it is “appalling” that former White House officials are refusing to complying with subpoenas from the Jan. 6 committee.
The select House committee has issued dozens of subpoenas related to Jan. 6. At the urging of former President Donald Trump, some former aides have refused to comply with the subpoenas, citing executive privilege.
As a result, Steve Bannon was indicted for contempt of Congress. And former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, similarly defied a subpoena from the committee on Friday.
“Congressional oversight needs to matter,” Farah told CNN’s Pamela Brown. “And some of the people currently who are defying congressional subpoenas themselves have in the past said how important the power of the subpoena is.”
Farah underscored that Bannon was fired by Trump following him being quoted by “Fire and Fury” author Michael Wolff.
“So why Republicans are now falling on their swords to defend this man who perpetuated the myth that led to January 6th, who has been a thorn in the side of the party for nearly a decade now, is just beyond me,” she said.
Brown then asked about the influence the Bannon indictment may have on Meadows’ compliance of lack thereof.
“Listen, Meadows has a much better argument for privilege than Steven Bannon does, who wasn’t in the White House for several years,” Farah said. “That said, much of what they’re asking Mark Meadows for would not fall under executive privilege.”
Farah continued to say that because Jan. 6 was a campaign-style event it would likely “fall well outside of the realms of official White House business, and if it didn’t, I would argue that’s a huge Hatch Act violation.”
“I’m hoping this indictment will encourage people like Mr. Meadows to simply cooperate,” she later added.
Farah who has voluntarily cooperated with the January 6th committee went on to say that she finds “it appalling that a former White House official would defy a congressional subpoena.”
Brown then turned the conversation toward Jan. 6, and the recently published recording of Trump defending “Hang Mike Pence” chants.
“Well, it’s comments like that that will never make me feel bad for never again defending Donald Trump,” remarked Farah, who resigned about a month before the insurrection.
Farah went on to note that while Trump had Secret Service protections, there were “hundred, if not thousands” of people inside the Capitol who did not.
“While he may point to the fact that Mike Pence was fine because he had Secret Service, what about the other 535 lawmakers who don’t all have security details?” she said. “It was fine that their lives might be threatened because of this?”
“It is absurd, it’s indefensible and I have to hope that conservatives and Republicans of good faith hear things like that and say ‘we don’t need four more years of this man,'” Farah added.
Watch above, via CNN
