That's a lot of work from someone who only voted for Trump because he wasn't Hillary.

 

Bannon Declared on Jan. 5 ‘All Hell Will Break Loose Tomorrow’ After Speaking to Trump Twice: We Are At the ‘Point of Attack’
By Alex GriffingJul 12th, 2022, 3:28 pm
418 comments



Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) revealed during a Jan. 6 committee hearing Tuesday that then-President Donald Trump spoke with his former adviser Steve Bannon on January 5th – the same day Bannon told his podcast audience “all Hell will break loose tomorrow.”

Murphy made the revelation in the context of linking Trump and his calls for supporters to descend on Washington, D.C. to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was certifying the presidential election, which Trump lost.


“On January 5th, the day before the attack on the Capitol, tens of thousands of people converged on Washington. While certain close associates of President Trump privately expressed concerns about what would occur on January 6. Other members of the president’s inner circle spoke with great anticipation about the events to come,” said Murphy.

“The committee has learned from the White House phone logs that the president spoke to Steve Bannon, his close adviser, at least twice on January 5th. The first conversation they had lasted for 11 minutes,” she continued.

“Listen to what Mr. Bannon said that day after the first call he had with the president,” Murphy said as she introduced a clip from Bannon’s War Room podcast.

“All hell is going to break loose tomorrow,” predicted Bannon gleefully.


“It’s all converging. And now we’re on, as they say, the point of attack. Right. The point of attack tomorrow. I’ll tell you this. It’s not going to happen like you think it’s going to happen. It’s going to be quite extraordinarily different,” Bannon said smiling.


“And all I can say is strap in,” he bragged.

Watch the full clip above via Fox News

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/bannon-...to-trump-twice-we-are-at-the-point-of-attack/

 

Days before the 2020 election, Steve Bannon said Trump is 'just gonna say he's a winner' – even if he loses, report based off leaked audio says

• 
  

Azmi Haroun
Tue, July 12, 2022 at 7:21 PM·3 min read




Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon (left), former President Donald Trump.Adrian Bretscher, Christopher Gregory/Getty Images

• 
  Steve Bannon said Trump would reject the election results if he lost, according to Mother Jones.
  
  
• The publication published a leaked recording from an October meeting days before the election.
  
  
• Bannon is set to face a criminal contempt trial for rejecting January 6 subpoenas on July 18.
  

In a leaked audio recording, former Trump aide Steve Bannon can be heard saying that Trump was planning to reject the results of the 2020 election, even if he lost, according to the recording obtained by Mother Jones.

In the audio clip, recorded during a meeting between Bannon and his associates on October 31, 2020, Bannon says that the former president is "just gonna say he's a winner."


"What Trump's gonna do, is just declare victory. Right? He's gonna declare victory. But that doesn't mean he's a winner," Bannon said in the clip, laughing. "He's just gonna say he's a winner."

Later in the audio Bannon says to expect "crazy shit" from Trump after the election and that, "at 10 or 11 o'clock Trump's gonna walk in the Oval, tweet out, 'I'm the winner. Game over. Suck on that.'"

The audio shared by Mother Jones is originally from a meeting between Bannon and supporters of Guo Wengui,a right-wing exiled Chinese businessman who Bannon has close ties with. The audio was recorded by an attendee of the meeting, who shared it with Mother Jones. Insider has not independently verified the audio.

Bannon's attorneys did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

During Tuesday's January 6 Committee hearing, further revelations were shared about Trump's rejection of the election results and involvement in rallying his supporters on January 6.

The committee shared a draft tweet from Trump's Twitter where he had planned to tell people to march to the Capitol after his speech where he encouraged Mike Pence and others to reject the certification of the election results.

"I will be making a Big Speech at 10AM on January 6th at the Ellipse (South of the White House). Please arrive early, massive crowds expected. March to the Capitol after. Stop the Steal!!" the draft tweet, which was not dated, said.

Bannon was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021 on two counts of contempt of Congress, after refusing to engage with a subpoena from the January 6 committee.

A Trump-appointed judge ruled on Monday that Bannon's criminal trial should go ahead on July 18.

In an attempt to delay his criminal contempt trial, Bannon's legal team had claimed that Trump's executive privilege barred him from testifying about the events related to January 6 and the election, and that the "media blitz" around the January 6 hearings was unfair to his case.

Trump's legal team has disputed the executive privilege claim, after the former president sent Bannon a letter saying he'd waive the claim.

Last week, the Department of Justice argued that Bannon's trial should go ahead.

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://www.yahoo.com/news/days-2020-election-steve-bannon-012139499.html

 

This is hilarious. It is absolutely forbidden for anyone to tell the truth about Trump. And if you do dare to tell the truth you will be kicked out of and exiled from the treasonous conservative/America Hating/Republican party.

But its not as hilarious as watching Bannon in full blown panic mode because he is facing trial could go to jail and his beloved Trump has thrown him to the wolves.


'Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!' Steve Bannon snaps at guest who says 'American people' ousted Trump

David Edwards
July 14, 2022



Real America's Voice/screen grab

Right-wing podcast host Steve Bannon scolded conservative economist Stephen Moore on Thursday after he suggested that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election fairly.

"I am so frustrated right now because I really believe if Trump, if the American people had not made such a big mistake in November," Moore explained. "And I think people recognize they did."

"Whoa!" Bannon exclaimed. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You mean, in not fighting hard enough to make sure we got to the steal. Dude, you're in the 'War Room!' Hold it. Stop."

IN OTHER NEWS: Lindsey Graham got into a contentious feud with a country music star at secret Trump dinner

"You mean we didn't fight hard enough to make sure that we got the Big Steal," he continued. "I know. You still want to go on Fox. I got it."

While Moore let out a hearty laugh, he did not deny the accusation.

Watch the video below or at this link.

https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-stephen-moore/

 

Genius!



Thinskin

 

Funny!



Thinskin

 

Another really funny aspect of this is even if Bannon gets convicted of criminal contempt the J6 committee can just turn around and subpoena him again.

Steve Bannon heads to contempt trial for defying Jan. 6 committee. Here's a breakdown of his case.
Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY
Sun, July 17, 2022 at 11:00 AM·6 min read


WASHINGTON – A federal judge had just dealt a series of blows to the defense case of former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who goes to trial this week for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, when attorney David Schoen could not contain his frustration any longer.

“What is the point of going to trial … if there are no defenses?” Schoen, Bannon's defense attorney, told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols last week.

The attorney’s pessimistic assessment is a far cry from Bannon’s initial vow to aggressively challenge contempt charges and his threat to make the case the “misdemeanor from hell" for the government.

“I'm never going to back down. We're going to go on offense,” Bannon told a scrum of reporters outside the federal courthouse after charges were leveled late last year.

With jury selection set to begin Monday, the swagger Bannon and his defense team displayed months ago appears to have faded after a federal judge last week rejected multiple requests for a postponement, setting the stage for Bannon's confrontation with the government.

Catch up on the last Jan. 6 hearing: Jan. 6 hearing takeaways: Rioter regret, a push to seize voting machines, Trump called witness


Steve Bannon speaks to the media as a protester stands behind him outside of the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse on June 15 in Washington.
What has Bannon been charged with and what is the penalty if convicted?
Bannon faces two counts of contempt for his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House committee, which has held a series of hearings this summer featuring damning testimony from former Trump administration officials.

Each count carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a maximum fine of $100,000.

The subpoena was issued last fall, and the committee and full House voted to hold him in contempt. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in November.

Attorney General Merrick Garland's decision to pursue the Bannon case represented a an escalation of the House panel's investigation and an important test for President Joe Biden's Justice Department and an attorney general who vowed to separate politics from a department roiled during the Trump administration by the former president's prior repeated intervention.

Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony: In 'combustible' testimony, Cassidy Hutchinson, surprise Jan. 6 witness, quietly drops bombshells


Attorney General Merrick Garland delivers remarks during an event to mark the first anniversary of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act at the Department of Justice Robert F. Kennedy Building on Friday.
Why does the committee want to talk to Bannon?
The committee's interest in seeking Bannon's testimony centers, at least in part, on two telephone contacts the former strategist had with Trump on Jan. 5, 2021.

The calls were highlighted during the panel's Tuesday public hearing, examining the role of extremist groups who answered Trump's call to gather in Washington.

After their initial Jan. 5 call, Bannon said on his podcast, “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow.

“It’s all converging and now we’re on, as they say, the point of attack,” Bannon said. “Right, the point of attack tomorrow. I’ll tell you this. It’s not gonna happen like you think it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be quite extraordinarily different. And all I can say is strap in.”

The committee revealed Trump and Bannon briefly spoke over the phone again for six minutes, and the contents of the phone call are unknown.

What Trump did on Jan. 6 during the attack: On Jan. 6, Trump was out of public view as aides urged him to act. A breakdown of those 187 minutes.

Bannon isn't the only former Trump aide to face charges for defying the Jan. 6 committee
Bannon is the first of two former Trump aides charged with contempt to face trial.

Last month, the Justice Department unveiled contempt charges against Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to the former president for defying the same House panel.

Like Bannon, Navarro refused to testify by citing executive privilege to keep communications with Trump confidential.

The House had also cited former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino for contempt. But the Justice Department spared the two from criminal prosecution.

Was Trump's call witness tampering?: Jan. 6 hearing disclosure lacks crucial details, analysts say


Pursued by a demonstrator, former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro arrives for his arraignment at the Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C. on June 17. A federal grand jury indicted Navarro for contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with the House Jan. 6 committee's investigation.
Bannon offered last-minute Jan. 6 testimony, but his effort to delay trial failed
Bannon's defense team has seen its avenues to challenge the case dwindle in the run-up to trial, mostly due to rulings issued by Nichols, appointed to the bench by Trump.

Nichols has rejected multiple requests from Bannon's lawyers to delay the trial in recent days, citing pre-trial publicity related to public hearings hosted by the Jan. 6 committee.

The judge denied a postponement July 11 after Bannon suddenly reversed course and offered to testify before the House panel.

Prosecutors immediately cast Bannon's new willingness to cooperate with the committee he had defied as a stunt to improve his chances at trial.

“His actions are little more than an attempt to change the optics of his contempt on the eve of trial, not an actual effort at compliance,” prosecutors said in court documents. “The Defendant’s timing suggest that the only thing that has really changed since he refused to comply with the subpoena … is that he is finally about to face the consequences of his decision to default.”


Steve Bannon's attorney David Schoen talks to reporters after a hearing on Bannon's trial on Monday, July 11 in Washington. A federal judge has declined to delay the upcoming trial of Bannon, an adviser to former President Donald Trump who faces contempt charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Bannon denied: Steve Bannon's request to delay contempt trial denied after he offered to testify before Jan. 6 panel

Judge picked apart Bannon's defenses
At the same July 11 hearing, Nichols also severely restricted Bannon's possible lines of defense.

Nichols ruled that Bannon cannot offer evidence that he relied on the advice of his counsel in refusing to cooperate with the committee’s subpoena, saying that such an assertion does not shield him from conduct that is deliberate and intentional.

The judge further ruled that Bannon could not offer alleged rule violations by the committee, as he has previously asserted. And he quashed Bannon’s efforts to subpoena House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other House leaders and Jan. 6 committee members.

Bannon's team asserted the bipartisan committee was not properly formed and sought Pelosi's testimony related to her role in selecting the panel members.

House Counsel Douglas Letter challenged the request for the testimony of Pelosi and other lawmakers as an attempt to fuel a "political circus."

The next Jan. 6 hearing is Thursday: committee to walk through the events of Jan. 6 "minute by minute"


Speaker Nancy Pelosi gavels in the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on Friday, June 24, 2022 as house members celebrate the passage of the act on the floor of the house.
Judge: trial will go on despite publicity from Jan. 6 hearings
Nichols said lingering concerns about pre-trial publicity, given the trial's proximity to extensive media coverage of the House committee hearings, which continue Thursday, could be resolved by closely vetting potential jurors.

If there was difficulty seating a jury due to any potential prejudice, Nichols said he may reconsider a ruling on a postponement.

"I see no reason for extending this case any further," Nichols said last week.

From the start, prosecutors have said it will take little time to present the government's case, saying that they could wrap up their presentation in one day.

Defense attorneys, meanwhile, have suggested that their side could take two weeks, but it was immediately unclear whether that timeline had been altered by Nichols' negative rulings.

Jan. 6 rioter apologizes to police: Jan. 6 rioter apologizes to police officers who defended Capitol against insurrection


https://www.yahoo.com/news/steve-bannon-heads-contempt-trial-100046784.html

 

Oh, good!
Yet another "legal analysis" of a case despicables hope will ultimately lead to a trump perp walk.

No matter.
Midterms approach.

 

'Case closed': Steve Bannon's podcast declares him guilty as he sits at trial for contempt

David Edwards
July 18, 2022



Real America's Voice/screen grab


An attorney appearing on Steve Bannon's podcast explained why the jury would quickly find Donald Trump's former adviser guilty of contempt of Congress.

David Freiheit, who uses the pseudonym Viva Frei, appeared on Bannon's daily show while the former Trump adviser sat in a Washington, D.C. courtroom.

Freiheit revealed that he would be spending 25 minutes a day recapping the Bannon trial on his YouTube channel. But he worried that the trial may not last long enough.

"I mean, the question is whether or not it's going to be able to fill 25 minutes," he noted. "Because what's going to go on with the Bannon trial? Jury selection. Federal court, it goes exceedingly quickly."

IN OTHER NEWS: Marjorie Taylor Greene demands forced births for women 'if it's a circumstance they didn't plan'

"It's going to be 95+, if not 100% Democrat, anti-Trump and anti-Steve Bannon," the attorney continued. "And then what's left of Bannon's defenses? What's left to prove from the prosecution? Did you receive the subpoena? Did you respect the subpoena? Yes and No. Case closed."

On Monday, Bannon was seen entering the courthouse before jury selection began. He is facing two counts of contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee.

https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-contempt-trial/

 

I heard a report that the judge is prepared to offer him a deal. Testify and cooperate with the committee or two years behind bars. That seems a fair deal, considering the judge has already thrown out all of his legal defense maneuvers. In other words, he doesn't have a leg...

 

When does all hell break loose?

Thinskin

 

Funny you should mention that. As in literally.


Steve Bannon pledged he'd go 'medieval' at his trial — but it hasn't turned out that way

Sarah K. Burris
July 18, 2022



Steve Bannon (Photo by Nicholas Kamm for AFP)


Former Donald Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon promised that he would go "medieval" in court once he was going to trial for his contempt of Congress case. While he never fully explained what he meant by that, the case appears to be closer to medieval torture than a medieval knight.

Already the judge in the case has suggested that Bannon accept a plea agreement and Bannon's own lawyer admitted that he has no defense. Bannon's own podcast declared him guilty while he was in court Monday.

Jury selection began Monday and while Bannon pledged to make his trial the "misdemeanor from hell" for President Joe Biden, that has yet to manifest into reality.

READ: 'Case closed': Steve Bannon's podcast declares him guilty as he sits at trial for contempt

BusinessInsider crafted a list of people to watch in the trial, suggesting that beyond the judge, the lawyers, prosecutors and Bannon himself, Robert Costello a lawyer and trial witness for Bannon is among those to keep an eye on. Costello was a lawyer for Bannon for the Jan. 6 stuff, but now will become a witness after withdrawing as a lawyer.

Costello previously was under attorney/client privilege so it's unclear if he is now waiving that privilege to testify for Bannon. Doing so means the prosecutors can ask their own questions about things that would normally be privileged.

"In earlier court proceedings, the judge bristled at how the Justice Department seized Costello's email and phone logs as part of the investigation into Bannon. The search for those records inadvertently ensnared the records of others who share Costello's name," the report recalled.

It was just a year ago that two assistant U.S. attorneys anticipated how Bannon's trial would go.

"In our view, this is a very straightforward case about whether or not the defendant showed up," said assistant US attorney Amanda Vaughn last year. She and another prosecutor said in documents that the Justice Department needs "one day of testimony" to prove his guilt.

Read the full details at Insider.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: This North Carolina veteran claimed inspiration from God to prepare for civil war

https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-medieval-trial/

 

Judge shoots down Steve Bannon's motion for 1-month delay as contempt trial continues

David Edwards
July 19, 2022



Real America's Voice/screen grab


U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols on Tuesday rejected a motion from Steve Bannon's attorneys to have his trial delayed for one month.

Bannon's attorneys began the second day of trial by complaining about rulings that limit defense arguments. One attorney for Bannon told the judge that the prosecution had to be delayed because of a "seismic shift" in the way the defense must present its case.

Nichols later said that he would consider a delay of one or two days to "get our ducks in a row."

The judge has previously rejected delays proposed by the Bannon team on two other occasions.

Bannon is facing two charges of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee.

Nichols also ruled that Bannon may argue that he believed the subpoena's date was "malleable." But the judge said that any non-relevant information in communications between Bannon and the Jan. 6 Committee must be redacted.

https://www.rawstory.com/judge-denies-bannon-delay/

 

Bannon's lawyer 'bounced a check to the jury' by making unsupported claims in his defense: former federal prosecutor

Matthew Chapman
July 19, 2022



Real America's Voice


On MSNBC Tuesday, former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner analyzed the opening statements of both parties in the case of Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon, on trial for contempt of Congress after stonewalling the House January 6 Committee for months.

The prosecution, which laid out that Bannon was "thumbing his nose" at the legal system itself, presented its case well, argued Kirschner — whereas Bannon's attorney slipped up in a way that could cost his client dearly.

"The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn, did a really nice job," said Kirschner. "She presented a linear, logical, and perhaps most importantly layman-friendly opening statement to the jury. It almost had a civics class feel to it. Which I think was appropriate. Because she needed to explain to the jurors, they don't all necessarily know how Congress functions. What the House of Representatives is, what committees are, what the J6 House Select Committee is, how they do their business."

"And then she dove into the heart of it," Kirschner continued. "She said, Steve Bannon had critically important information about what happened on January 6th at the Capitol. And the committee needed it, wanted it, and had every lawful right to it. So they subpoenaed him. And then he intentionally defied the subpoena. It wasn't a mistake, it wasn't an accident, he simply decided that he doesn't live by the same rules and laws that his fellow citizens lived by. And I thought it was a really effective opening statement."

"The defense attorney by the name of Evan Corcoran opened for Steve Bannon. And I think he made a fatal mistake," Kirschner said. "He wrote a bad check to the jury. He wrote a check I don't think the evidence will cash. Trial lawyers will tell you never bounce a check with your jury. It hurts your case. And it can hurt your credibility in the eyes of the jury. What he said, it was really interesting, was, here ladies and gentlemen, Steve Bannon was served with the subpoena, but the dates weren't fixed. They were, quote, flexible. I have seen no evidence ... in the government's opening statement or any of the litigation on the motion that will support that assertion."

"In fact, the first witness who has already testified, Kristin Amerling, the chief counsel for the J6 Committee, has already shut that down," added Kirschner. "She said he was subpoenaed and he defied, he violated the subpoenas. Miss Amerling has not been cross-examined yet, that will come tomorrow. But, you know what, if you write a check for the jury an opening statement that you can't cash, you are in trouble."

Watch below:



https://www.rawstory.com/bannon-contempt/

 

Steve Bannon suffers another trial defeat as judge strikes down 'political circus'

David Edwards
July 20, 2022



Gettr/screen grab


U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Donald Trump, ruled against Steve Bannon, an ex-adviser to the former president, on Wednesday and cautioned him not to turn his trial into a "political circus."

Prosecutor Amanda Vaughn told Nichols that Bannon's attorneys appeared to be trying to inject politics into his trial for contempt of Congress. She said Bannon's lawyers have been suggesting that it is a "politically motivated prosecution."

"At the end of the back and forth between her and Bannon's team over what extent his attorney's questioning can suggest bias, US District Judge Carl Nichols stated a commitment to not allow the trial to become 'a political circus, a forum for partisan politics,'" CNN reported.

"After hearing more from Vaughn, Nichols set limits on questions about political bias: The defense may ask questions that may go to how a particular witness is biased, but not ask questions about how someone else was biased in action they took outside the courtroom," the report said.

For his part, Bannon has used press conferences on each day of the trial to rail against the House Jan. 6 Select Committee.

https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-trial-political-circus/

 

Is Steve Bannon ‘stupid’ enough to testify at his trial? This former Trump lawyer thinks so

Bob Brigham
July 20, 2022



Steve Bannon / Gage Skidmore.


The White House lawyer who led Donald Trump's legal defense during his first impeachment hearing offered a fascinating analysis of Steve Bannon's trial during a Wednesday appearance on CNN.

Ty Cobb was interviewed by CNN's Erin Burnett after federal prosecutors rested their case against Bannon for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon's defense team is scheduled to present its defense when the trial resumes on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

READ: Steve Bannon suffers another trial defeat as judge strikes down 'political circus'

The jury may receive the case for the select committee airs its eighth public hearing at 10 p.m.

"I think it's -- this is a very simple case, Cobb said. "As they told the court and the world in their pretrial pleadings, there really is, you know, only one -- or two issues, did he get the subpoena? And did he show up? And he didn't."

"I will say the interesting thing to me for tomorrow is, 'does Bannon testify?' In my experience, the only two people I know who would testify in this trial under these circumstances, if it was against them, are Donald Trump and Steve Bannon," Cobb said. "And if Bannon testifies, I am assured that it will be a spectacle."

Cobb said he did not think Bannon would testify, but he noted, "with Steve Bannon, anything can happen."

"He would be really stupid to take the stand, " Cobb concluded.

Watch below or at this link.



https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-trial-2657704203/

 

Bannon has to testify and will commit low grade perjury in the process. He will not be able to resist the moment in the spotlight. He also won't be able to resist demonstrating the arrogance that got him in this predicament.

 

Spot marked

 

This turned out to be wrong. Bannon was probably stupid enough to take the stand but as one ex prosecutor covering the trial every day said they have become terrified of the prosecutor Amanda Vaughn and feared Bannon would not only get convicted on two counts of criminal contempt but rack up additional charges of contempt of court and perjury as well. Bannon's defense team saw Vaughn as a mountain lion very quietly waiting and watching for her chance to pounce and make the kill. And they did not want to take that chance.



Steve Bannon's lawyers won't present any evidence to jury in criminal contempt trial

Brad Reed
July 21, 2022



Steve Bannon speaking at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)


The trial of former Trump political strategist Steve Bannon appears to be heading toward a speedy conclusion.

Lawyers representing Bannon have now said that they will not present evidence or call witnesses to make their case that their client is innocent of being in criminal contempt of Congress, according to CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane.

Instead, the trial will proceed directly to closing arguments that are due to start at 1 p.m. ET after the court returns from recess.

MacFarlane notes that it's not certain when the jury will begin deliberations in the trial, although he says it's "possible" that they begin by the end of Thursday.

IN OTHER NEWS: Texas GOP's pro-gun law backfires — and ends up footing taxpayers with $500 million bill: study

Bannon, who led Trump's successful 2016 presidential election campaign, was among dozens of people called to testify about the storming of Congress by Trump supporters.

Bannon was indicted on two charges of contempt of Congress after refusing to testify to a House of Representatives committee probing the violence.

His lawyers sought to delay the start of the trial so that it would not take place at the same time as the committee's public hearings, but the judge refused last week.

Prosecutors in the case called only two witnesses and wrapped up their arguments in the span of just one day, as they told jurors that this was an open-and-shut case of a man brazenly defying a lawfully issued congressional subpoena.

READ MORE: GOPer Nancy Mace roils Republicans with pro-contraception protest on House floor

According to the House committee probing the riot, Bannon spoke to Trump the previous day.

Investigators believe Bannon and other Trump advisors could have information on links between the White House and the rioters.

After refusing to testify for months, Bannon finally agreed to cooperate with the investigation, a move prosecutors said was a "last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability" by stalling his trial for contempt.

Judge Carl Nichols ruled it should go ahead anyway, saying "I see no reason for extending this case any longer."

IN OTHER NEWS: Election deniers going door-to-door demanding answers about Trump votes: 'No boundaries to ethics or civility'

If convicted of contempt, Bannon, 68, faces a minimum sentence of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison on each count.

He was Trump's strategy chief at the White House before being sacked in 2017.

Bannon was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after allegedly defrauding thousands of donors to a campaign to fund Trump's anti-migrant wall along the southern border.

In Trump's final hours in office, he pardoned Bannon.

More than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on Congress. The assault left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured.

Trump was impeached for a historic second time by the House after the riot -- he was charged with inciting an insurrection -- but was acquitted by the Senate.



With additional reporting by AFP

https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-trial-2657707845/