Trump ally Steve Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress over Jan. 6
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon exits the Manhattan Federal Court, following his arraignment hearing for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, August 20, 2020.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
A federal grand jury indicted former Trump advisor Steve Bannon on Friday on charges of contempt of Congress that stemmed from his refusal to comply with a subpoena from House lawmakers investigating the deadly Capitol riot.
Bannon, 67, faces two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to provide documents to the congressional investigators and refusing to sit for a deposition, the Department of Justice said in a press release.
“Today’s charges reflect the Department’s steadfast commitment to these principles,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the statement.
A lawyer for Bannon told the House select committee in October that he would not comply with its subpoena because former President Donald Trump had instructed him not to produce any documents or testimony “concerning privileged material.”
Bannon was a senior White House advisor during the first seven months of Trump’s tenure. He was fired by Trump years before the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which is the subject of the select committee’s investigation.
Select committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., rejected the reference to executive privilege, the doctrine that allows some executive branch officials to keep some communications confidential, an argument for noncompliance with a congressional subpoena.
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