Trump adviser Bannon assails Biden over Capitol riot probe charges
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[November 16, 2021]
By Jan Wolfe and Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President
Donald Trump's longtime adviser Steve Bannon on Monday sought to portray
the criminal charges over his defiance of a congressional inquiry into
the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot as politically motivated, lashing out at
President Joe Biden and others.
Bannon, indicted by a federal grand jury https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-indicts-bannon-not-complying-with-jan-6-subpoena-2021-11-12
on Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress, made his first court
appearance, with Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather releasing him on his
personal recognizance after a brief hearing. Hours earlier, Bannon
turned himself in at an FBI field office in Washington, flanked by
black-clad bodyguards.
The conditions set by Meriweather for Bannon's release did not include
an order not to talk about the case publicly. Bannon moments after the
hearing addressed a throng of journalists outside the federal
courthouse.
"I'm never going to back down. They took on the wrong guy this time,"
said Bannon, Trump's one-time chief strategist and one of more than 30
people close to the Republican former president called to testify to the
Democratic-led House of Representatives select committee probing the
Jan. 6 attack.
Bannon took aim at Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"I'm telling you right now, this is going to be the misdemeanor from
hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden," Bannon said.
"We're going to go on the offense. We're tired of playing defense,"
Bannon said, who claimed without offering evidence that Biden ordered
Garland to bring the charges.
Bannon was indicted on one contempt count for refusing to appear for a
deposition before the committee and a second count for refusing to
produce documents. The House voted on Oct. 21 to hold Bannon in contempt
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-edges-toward-contempt-charges-against-trump-aide-bannon-2021-10-21,
leaving it up to the Justice Department, headed by Garland, to decide on
bringing charges.
Before surrendering to the FBI, Bannon told reporters, "We're taking
down the Biden regime," though he did not specify what he meant by
"taking down." A demonstrator standing behind him held a sign that read
"Coup Plotter."
A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a failed
attempt to prevent formal congressional certification of his election
loss to Biden. The committee is scrutinizing Trump's actions relating to
those events. Bannon is the first to face criminal charges arising from
the panel's inquiry.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in
jail along with a fine of up to $100,000, according to the Justice
Department. The department on Friday had said Bannon faced a fine of up
to $1,000.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in
jail along with a monetary fine.
Meriweather imposed several conditions on Bannon including surrendering
his U.S. passport. Bannon did not enter a plea, with an arraignment
scheduled for Thursday.
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Steve Bannon, talk show host and former White House advisor to
former President Donald Trump, arrives at the FBI's Washington field
office to turn himself in to federal authorities after being
indicted for refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena over
the January 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S.,
November 15, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Bourg
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
Trump has sought to stonewall the House committee and directed his
associates not to cooperate. In defying his subpoena, Bannon cited
Trump's insistence - already rejected by one judge - that the former
president has a right to keep the requested material confidential
under a legal doctrine called executive privilege https://www.reuters.com/world/us/can-trump-use-executive-privilege-block-jan-6-attack-probe-2021-09-09.
Bannon, a prominent figure in right-wing media circles, was an
architect of Trump's 2016 presidential victory and served as White
House chief strategist in 2017. The former Goldman Sachs Group Inc
banker and Navy veteran has promoted right-wing causes and
candidates in the United States and abroad.
Bannon separately was charged last year https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-bannon/steve-bannon-key-to-trumps-rise-charged-with-defrauding-border-wall-supporters-idUSKBN25G1J4
with defrauding donors to a private fund-raising effort to boost
Trump's pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump
pardoned Bannon before the case could go to trial.
The House committee has said Bannon made public statements
suggesting he knew in advance about "extreme events" that would
occur on Jan. 6. Bannon said on a Jan. 5 podcast that "all hell is
going to break loose tomorrow."
Shortly before the riot, Trump gave a speech to supporters near the
White House repeating his false claims that the election was stolen
from him through widespread voting fraud and urging them to go to
the Capitol and "fight like hell" to "stop the steal."
House investigators hope the Bannon charges will motivate other
witnesses including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows,
who on Friday refused to appear for a deposition, to testify.
Bannon's attorney David Schoen after Monday's hearing emphasized
that his client's actions toward his subpoena were guided by Trump's
invocation of executive privilege.
"You can't put the genie back in the bottle," Schoen said. "Mr.
Bannon acted as his lawyers counseled him to do by not appearing and
by not turning over documents in this case."
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by
Mark Hosenball and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott
Malone)
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