Bannon indicted on contempt charges for ignoring subpoena

By Emily Wagster Pettus, Mary Clare Jalonick and Eric Tucker | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime state to erstwhile President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday connected 2 counts of contempt of Congress aft helium defied a legislature subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol.

The Justice Department said Bannon, 67, was indicted connected 1 number for refusing to look for a deposition and the different for refusing to supply documents successful effect to the committee’s subpoena. It wasn’t instantly wide erstwhile helium would beryllium owed successful court.

The indictment comes arsenic a 2nd witness, erstwhile White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied a akin subpoena from the committee connected Friday. The president of the panel, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said helium volition beryllium recommending contempt charges against Meadows adjacent week.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Bannon’s indictment reflects the Justice Department’s “steadfast commitment” to ensuring that the section adheres to the regularisation of law. Each number carries a minimum of 30 days of jailhouse and a condemnation of up to a twelvemonth down bars.

Bannon’s lawyer did not instantly respond to a connection seeking comment.

This is not the archetypal clip Bannon has faced ineligible peril. In August of past year, helium was pulled from a luxury yacht and arrested connected allegations that helium and 3 associates ripped disconnected donors trying to money a confederate borderline wall. Trump aboriginal pardoned Bannon successful the last hours of his presidency.

Meadows had been successful discussions with the committee since his subpoena was issued successful September, but his lawyer said Friday that Meadows has a “sharp ineligible dispute” with the sheet arsenic Trump has claimed enforcement privilege implicit the testimony.

Thompson had threatened contempt charges against Meadows successful a missive to the lawyer, George Terwilliger, connected Thursday, saying that if helium failed to look to reply the committee’s questions Friday it would beryllium considered “willful non-compliance.” The committee would archetypal person to ballot connected the contempt recommendation, past the afloat House would ballot to nonstop it to the Justice Department.

Meadows’ refusal to comply comes amid escalating ineligible battles betwixt the committee and Trump arsenic the erstwhile president has claimed privilege implicit documents and interviews the lawmakers are demanding.

The White House said successful a missive Thursday that President Joe Biden would waive immoderate privilege that would forestall Meadows from cooperating with the committee, prompting his lawyer to accidental Meadows wouldn’t comply.

“Legal disputes are appropriately resolved by courts,” said the lawyer, George Terwilliger. “It would beryllium irresponsible for Mr. Meadows to prematurely resoluteness that quality by voluntarily waiving privileges that are astatine the bosom of those ineligible issues.”

As the sitting president, Biden has truthful acold waived astir of Trump’s assertions of privilege implicit documents. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has backed Biden’s position, noting successful 1 ruling this week that “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.”

The panel’s proceedings and attempts to stitchery accusation person been delayed arsenic Trump appealed Chutkan’s rulings. On Thursday, a national appeals tribunal temporarily blocked the merchandise of immoderate of the White House records the sheet is seeking, giving that tribunal clip to see Trump’s arguments.

Still, the House sheet is continuing its work, and lawmakers person already interviewed much than 150 witnesses truthful acold arsenic they effort to physique the astir broad grounds yet of however a convulsive mob of Trump’s supporters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the certification of Biden’s victory.

The committee has subpoenaed astir 3 twelve people, including erstwhile White House staffers, Trump allies who strategized astir however to overturn his decision and radical who organized the elephantine rally connected the National Mall the greeting of Jan. 6. While some, similar Meadows and Bannon, person balked, others person spoken to the sheet and provided documents.

Meadows, a erstwhile GOP congressman from North Carolina, is simply a cardinal witnesser for the panel. He was Trump’s apical adjutant successful the clip betwixt Trump’s nonaccomplishment successful the November predetermination and the insurrection, and was 1 of respective radical who pressured authorities officials to effort and overturn the results. He was besides by Trump’s broadside during overmuch of the time, and helium could supply accusation astir what the erstwhile president was saying and doing during the attack.

“You were the president’s main of unit and person captious accusation regarding galore elements of our inquiry,” Thompson wrote successful a missive accompanying the Sept. 23 subpoena to Meadows. “It appears you were with oregon successful the vicinity of President Trump connected Jan. 6, had communications with the president and others connected January 6 regarding events astatine the Capitol and are a witnesser regarding activities of that day.”

The appeals tribunal volition perceive arguments Nov. 30 successful Trump’s abstracted lawsuit against the committee and the National Archives, an effort to withhold documents from the panel. The arguments volition instrumentality spot earlier 3 judges nominated by Democratic presidents: Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins, nominated by erstwhile President Barack Obama, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, an appointee of Biden. Given the case’s magnitude, whichever broadside loses earlier the circuit tribunal is apt to yet entreaty to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Nomaan Merchant, Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.