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Hey, good morning, Playbookers.

I'm Rogum with Avalin.

It's Thursday.

This is your Politico Playbook Daily briefing.

It's a story we've become all too familiar with since Democrats took control of the House back in 2019.

Lawmakers issued subpoenas to Trump White House

officials, then Stonewall at his behest. And today, the January 6th committee could find

itself hitting the same roadblocks. Steve Bannon and Cash Patel have been subpoenaed for questioning

today. Mark Meadows and Dan's Kavino are slated for Friday. Trump has asked them not to cooperate,

claiming executive privilege bars their participation, an assertion that's bogus, according to Democrats.

Members of the panel have been talking this week about referring non-compliant witnesses

to the Department of Justice for Criminal Prosecution. Unlike during the Trump years, they now

have allies in a Justice Department run by Democrats, at least in theory.

Often when it comes to oversight, presidents protect their predecessors.

Attorney General Mer Garland, however, has shown a willingness to assist Hill investigators on this particular issue,

including by ensuring privileges waived for top DOJ officials to testify about the pressure that they faced from Trump.

It's unclear whether Garland will go along with the panel's plan to pursue criminal contempt.

But even if he does, the cases could drag out in the courts for months, inching up to the midterm elections, fraught timing for both parties.

There's some other dynamics we're watching when it comes to the January 6th Commission.

Who's paying the legal bills?

Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani complained vocally that the Republican Party didn't pony up for his legal bills when he got sued for defamation over some of his big-like conspiracy theories.

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