By Aaron Miller-
A U.S jury has found Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress.
Bannon, 68, (pictured)was indicted last year over his failure to co-operate with the congressional committee which was investigating the events leading up to the Capitol riot. He defiantly argued he was protected by executive privilege- a legal principle that holds communications between presidents and their advisers to be protected from disclosure in order to be able to give confidential advice.
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The committee also said that Bannon’s executive privilege claims could not possibly permit him to ignore the subpoena outright, but he could cite the privilege in response to certain questions.
“Even if your client had been a senior aide to [Trump] during the time period covered by the contemplated testimony, which he was most assuredly not, he is not permitted by law to the type of immunity you suggest that Mr. Trump has requested he assert.”
Outside the courtroom, Bannon said he respected the jury’s decision but that he would appeal. His lawyers asserted that, rather than ignoring the subpoenas, he believed he was negotiating on them, and also believed the deadlines in the summons were flexible, not fixed.
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In closing statements, defence lawyer Evan Corcoran told the court the path his client took “turned out to be a mistake”, but “was not a crime”
Bannon faces up to two years in jail and up to $200,000 (£167,000) in fines.
The prosecution had argued Bannon wilfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines given to him to appear, but his defence claimed throughout that he believed those details had been “flexible and subject to negotiation”.
This was the first successful prosecution for contempt of Congress since 1974, when a judge found a conspirator in the Watergate scandal – that prompted President Richard Nixon’s resignation – guilty
In a scathing attack against Bannon’s expressed disregard for the law, prosecutor Molly Gaston said:
“Our government only works if people show up, it only works if people play by the rules, and it only works if people are held accountable when they do not,” prosecutor Molly Gaston said during closing statements.
“The defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law.”
Despite vowing to go “medieval” on his enemies, Bannon’s defence team rested its case on Thursday without him testifying and without calling any other witnesses.
They asserted that, rather than ignoring the subpoenas, he believed he was negotiating on them, and also believed the deadlines in the summons were flexible, not fixed.
In closing statements, defence lawyer Evan Corcoran told the court the path his client took “turned out to be a mistake”, but “was not a crime”.
The 12-member jury panel deliberated for just under three hours on Friday before reaching its verdict.
Bannon was a key player in former President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, serving first as his campaign chief and later taking on the role of chief strategist at the White House.
He left that position amid political fallout from a violent far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. But the podcaster is still considered a top ally of Mr Trump.
The House of Representatives select committee investigating the Capitol riots first issued a legal summons to Bannon in September 21 also interested in Bannon’s communications with Mr Trump before the incident, as well as “war room” meetings held at a nearby hotel with other key figures, allegedly as part of a last-ditch attempt to thwart the certification of Joe Biden’s election win.
The day before the attack, he declared on his podcast that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow”.
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