WASHINGTON – Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former US President Donald Trump, surrendered to federal authorities on Monday to face contempt charges after defying a subpoena from a House committee. Institute to investigate the January uprising at the US Capitol.
Bannon was arrested Monday morning and is expected to appear in court later in the afternoon. The 67-year-old was indicted on Friday with two counts of criminal contempt – one for refusing to appear to remove parliament and the other for refusing to provide documents under a subpoena. .
The indictment came as a much-anticipated second witness, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied his own subpoena from the committee on Friday and as Trump escalated the wars. legal authority to withhold documents and testimony about the uprising.
If the House votes to disparage Meadows, that recommendation will also be sent to the Justice Department for a possible indictment.
Officials in both Democratic and Republican administrations are despised by Congress, but criminal charges of contempt are extremely rare.
The indictment against Bannon comes after a series of Trump administration officials – including Bannon – defied requests and demands of Congress over the past five years with little consequence, including in the United States. an impeachment inquiry. President Barack Obama’s administration also refused to charge two of its officials with defying congressional requests.
The indictment says that Bannon did not communicate with the committee in any way from receiving the subpoena on September 24 until October 7 when his attorney sent a letter, seven o’clock. after the documents are due.
Bannon, who worked in the White House during the early Trump administration and is now the host of the conspiratorial “War Room” podcast, is a private citizen who “refused to appear to testify.” as required by the subpoena”. the indictment said.
When Bannon refused to appear for impeachment in October, his attorney said the former Trump adviser had been directed by an attorney for Trump on the grounds of executive privilege not to answer questions.
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