Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon arrives in US District Court as his trial on contempt of Congress resumes on Wednesday.
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Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon arrives in US District Court as his trial on contempt of Congress resumes on Wednesday.
Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
The prosecution of former Trump political adviser Steve Bannon inched closer to a conclusion on Wednesday after the Justice Department released evidence that Bannon had issued multiple warnings that he was in danger of being charged. criminal charges for defying subpoenas and dismissing the case.
Later, outside court, Bannon spoke briefly to reporters. He asked why the January 6 committee chair, Bennie Thompson, was not present to defend his committee, which he called a “demonstration trial”. Bannon did not respond to questions about whether he would call witnesses or testify in his defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn told jurors Bannon “picked his nose” at the government and acted as if the law didn’t apply to him when he issued a subpoena from House Selection Committee probe the attack on the US Capitol last year.
Kristin Amerling, the committee’s deputy director of human resources, said members wanted to know about Bannon’s contacts with former President Donald Trump and others who made bogus allegations of election fraud. 2020. Legislators also wondered about possible “prior knowledge” of the Capitol attack after Bannon stated “all hell will fall apart“on his podcast the day before the siege, she testified.
The outlines of Bannon’s defense, including whether or not he will testify, are still somewhat murky. In his opening statement, Bannon’s attorney Evan Corcoran referred to the case as political.
Prosecutors filed an objection Wednesday outside of a grand jury presence, calling it an unacceptable attempt to turn the case into a “political circus.”
“I do not intend for this to become a political case, a political circus, a forum for partisan politics,” said US District Judge Carl Nichols.
The issues are fairly simple: whether Bannon received a subpoena from the House Select Committee; whether the subpoena seeks information relevant to its authorized investigation; whether Bannon failed or refused to comply; and whether the failure was intentional.
The jury of nine men and five women was attentive throughout the long day of testifying. After the judge said they could take off their masks, no one did, according to a pool reporter inside the sixth-floor courtroom. In contrast, Bannon immediately removed his black mask.
The first government witness, a senior staff member on the House selection committee, guided jurors through panel correspondence with a Bannon attorney last fall. The committee never received documents or testimony from Bannon, Amerling testified.
“Did the committee receive anything other than radio silence at 10 a.m. on October 7?” prosecutor Vaughn asked. “No,” Amerling replied.
Bannon’s attorney Corcoran said she has worked for Democrats and made political donations to Democratic political candidates, and she participates in a book group where most of the members have been. worked for former California Congressman Henry Waxman.
“Do you ever discuss political topics of the day?” Corcoran asked.
“To the best of my recollection … the conversations covered a wide variety of topics. We tried to start with the book and then it started from there,” Amerling said. “It’s not uncommon for us to talk about politics in one way or another.”
The testimony was the first in more than 20 years on Capitol Hill that Amerling testified in a criminal trial for contempt of Congress.
“Oh, sir, it’s very unusual for witnesses to receive subpoenas to say they won’t comply,” Amerling said.
During the cross-examination, Corcoran also emphasized that Amerling signed the subpoena paperwork before it was actually served on Bannon’s attorney. Amerling has resisted attempts by the defensive team to describe compliance deadlines as flexible.
“Do you believe finding out what happened on January 6 is a political or partisan issue?” prosecutor Vaughn asked.
“No, I don’t,” Amerling replied.
The prosecution’s second witness, FBI Special Agent Stephen Hart, testified briefly about Bannon’s verified posts on the social networking site Gettr after the deadline for Bannon to submit documents to Congress, in an apparent attempt by prosecutors to emphasize that Bannon knowingly defied. request from Congress.
Prosecutors settled their case just before 5 p.m. ET, and the judge said both sides will meet mid-morning Thursday to discuss legal arguments and next steps. follow.
The House Select Committee is expected to hold its final public hearing on Thursday of the summer, focusing on what Trump is doing – and not doing – while intruders rampage through the building. Capitol last year.
The panel is rushing to finish its work by the end of the year, after interviewing more than 1,000 witnesses to compile a full account of what led up to the siege of the Capitol and what could be done. to strengthen security and strengthen government institutions.
For Bannon, the lawsuit could end as early as this week. If he is convicted of misdemeanor misdemeanor, he will face the prospect of jail time.
Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.
