Trump ally Bannon appears in court for defying Jan. 6 panel

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Longtime Trump state Steve Bannon appeared earlier a justice connected Monday to look transgression contempt charges for defying a subpoena from Congress’ Jan. 6 committee, past declared combatively extracurricular tribunal that helium was “taking connected the Biden regime” successful warring the charges.

Bannon did not participate a plea and is owed backmost successful tribunal connected Thursday for the adjacent signifier of what could beryllium the archetypal high-level proceedings successful transportation with January’s insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol.

Combative extracurricular court, helium said helium was “going connected the offense” against the lawyer general, the talker of the House and President Biden. He declared, “This is going to beryllium a misdemeanor from hellhole for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden.”

The 67-year-old Bannon surrendered earlier successful the time to FBI agents. He was indicted connected Friday connected 2 national counts of transgression contempt -– 1 for refusing to look for a legislature deposition and the different for refusing to supply documents successful effect to the committee’s subpoena.

Federal Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather released him without bail but required him to cheque successful play with tribunal officials and ordered him to surrender his passport. If convicted, Bannon faces a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 1 twelvemonth down bars connected each count, prosecutors said.

Outside the courthouse, a ample inflatable rat made to look similar Republican erstwhile President Donald Trump was connected the sidewalk arsenic a assemblage waited for Bannon to leave. Some successful the assemblage shouted expletives astatine him and called him a traitor, and 1 antheral paraded astir with a motion that read: “Clowns are not supra the law.”

The indictment came arsenic a 2nd expected witness, erstwhile White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied a abstracted subpoena from the committee connected Friday and arsenic Trump has escalated his ineligible battles to withhold documents and grounds astir the insurrection. Bannon and Meadows are cardinal witnesses for the committee due to the fact that they some were successful adjacent interaction with Trump astir the clip of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

If the House votes to clasp Meadows successful contempt, that proposal would besides beryllium sent to the Justice Department for a imaginable indictment.

Meadows was Trump’s apical adjutant astatine the extremity of his presidency and was 1 of respective radical who pressured authorities officials to effort and overturn the results of the 2020 predetermination won by Democrat Biden. Bannon promoted the Jan. 6 protests connected his podcast aft predicting the time earlier that “all hellhole is going to interruption loose.”

The committee said that Bannon urged Trump to absorption connected the legislature certification and was contiguous astatine an lawsuit astatine the Willard Hotel connected Jan. 5 successful which Trump allies tried to transportation members of Congress to ballot against the results.

Bannon’s lawyer, David Schoen said his lawsuit didn’t look earlier Congress due to the fact that helium was told by different lawyer not to travel aft Trump claimed enforcement privilege would apply.

“Mr. Bannon is simply a laic person. When the privilege has been invoked by the purported holder of privilege, helium has nary prime but to withhold the documents. You can’t enactment the genie backmost successful the bottle,” helium said. “Mr. Bannon acted arsenic his lawyer counseled him to bash by not appearing and by not turning implicit documents successful this case. He didn’t garbage to comply.”

Schoen besides decried the Justice Department’s determination to prosecute Bannon, claiming it runs antagonistic to Attorney General Garland’s connection of committedness to adjacent justness nether the law.

Officials successful some Democratic and Republican administrations person been held successful contempt by Congress, but transgression indictments for contempt are exceedingly rare.

The indictment against Bannon comes aft a slew of Trump medication officials – including Bannon – defied requests and demands from Congress implicit the past 5 years with small consequence, including during an impeachment inquiry. President Barack Obama’s medication besides declined to complaint 2 of its officials who defied legislature demands.

The indictment says Bannon didn’t pass with the committee successful immoderate mode from the clip helium received the subpoena connected Sept. 24 until Oct. 7 erstwhile his lawyer sent a letter, 7 hours aft the documents were due.

Bannon, who worked astatine the White House astatine the opening of the Trump medication and presently serves arsenic big of the conspiracy-minded “War Room” podcast, is simply a backstage national who “refused to look to springiness grounds arsenic required by a subpoena,” the indictment says.