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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 20 Juli 2022

Jury selection for ex-Trump adviser Bannon heads for 2nd day

shared his opinion. notified the committee that
Monday’s session before he is now willing to testify.
U.S. District Judge Carl The high-profile and divi- His former lawyer, Robert
Nichols was entirely focused sive nature of the case hung Costello, said the change was
on jury selection in a slow- over Monday’s session, with because Trump had waived
moving process known as Corcoran seeking to block his executive privilege claim
voir dire. By the end of the jurors who expressed strong preventing the testimony.
day, 22 prospective jurors had opinions about Bannon or
been identified. The trial will Trump, or who had any sort Bannon, 68, had been one of
resume Tuesday morning as of personal connection to the most prominent of the
lawyers for Bannon and the Jan. 6 or the Capitol. Trump-allied holdouts refus-
government whittle the list ing to testify before the com-
down to 14 — with 12 jurors At one point, Judge Nichols mittee. He had argued that
and two alternates. agreed to disqualify a wom- his testimony was protected
an whose mother is a staffer by Trump’s claim of execu-
Much of Monday’s question- for Democratic Florida Rep. tive privilege, which allows
ing of potential jurors by Ban- Lois Frankel. In another case presidents to withhold con-
non’s lawyer, Evan Corcoran, Corcoran argued successfully fidential information from
centered on how much of the to disqualify a man who said the courts and the legislative
wide coverage of the Jan. 6 the Jan. 6 committee’s work branch.
hearings they’ve watched and was “important” and he was
(AP) — Former Trump Bannon, an unofficial adviser whether they have opinions closely tracking its develop- Trump has repeatedly as-
adviser Steve Bannon’s to President Donald Trump about the committee and its ments. serted executive privilege —
contempt-of-Congress at the time of the Capitol work. even though he’s a former,
trial will stretch into a attack is charged in federal “He comes into it with a not current president — to
second day after lawyers court with defying a subpoe- In one case, a prospective ju- frame of mind where he’s try to block witness testimo-
labored through a long na from the Jan. 6 committee ror told Nichols that remain- highly focused on Jan. 6,” ny and the release of White
Monday session trying to that sought his records and ing impartial would be “a Corcoran said. “I just don’t House documents. The
select a jury without pre- testimony. He was indicted in challenge” for him since “I do think he can be fair.” Supreme Court in January
conceived opinions. Ban- November on two counts of believe (Bannon) is guilty.” ruled against Trump’s efforts
non is facing criminal criminal contempt of Con- Bannon attended the entire to stop the National Archives
charges after refusing for gress, one month after the That admission, in addition session, but never spoke. from cooperating with the
months to cooperate with Justice Department received to disqualifying the potential committee after a lower court
the House committee in- a congressional referral. Each juror, prompted additional The trial follows a flurry of judge — Ketanji Brown Jack-
vestigating the Jan. 6, 2021, count carries a minimum of questioning of others who activity in the case since July son, now on the Supreme
Capitol insurrection. 30 days of jail and as long as a had sat next to the man to de- 9. Over a week ago, the for- Court — noted, in part,
year behind bars. termine how widely he had mer White House strategist “Presidents are not kings.”

Election 2022: Maryland voting for successor to Gov. Hogan

(AP) — With Maryland Gov. Lar- candidates include Comptroller Peter cause Maryland law prohibits coun- races to be the state’s tax collector,
ry Hogan term-limited, the high- Franchot, former Attorney General ties from opening mail ballots until brings significant name recognition
ly competitive contest to replace Doug Gansler and former U.S. Edu- the Thursday after election day. to the primary. Gansler, a longtime
him has drawn the attention of cation Secretary John B. King Jr. prosecutor, is running as a moder-
former President Donald Trump, Ten candidates are seeking the Demo- ate. King served in President Barack
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and The big-name endorsements in cratic nomination for governor. Perez Obama’s Cabinet.
even Oprah Winfrey. Maryland’s governor’s race illus- has support from labor unions, while
trate the high stakes for both parties. Moore, the former CEO of the Rob- Voter Laura Kretchman, a 41-year-
As voters on Tuesday choose nomi- Democrats see the contest as one of in Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty old high school teacher, said Moore’s
nees in statewide, legislative and their best chances nationwide to flip organization, has been endorsed by endorsement by the Maryland State
congressional races, the pivotal gov- a governor’s mansion in this year’s the state’s teachers union and the Education Association helped her
ernor’s race takes top billing. Hogan, midterm elections, while Republi- two top Maryland legislative leaders, choose him. She said she’s impressed
a rare two-term Republican governor cans want to cement the party’s hold House Speaker Adrienne Jones and by Moore’s accomplishments after
in a Democratic-leaning state, won on the office. Senate President Bill Ferguson. rising above childhood challenges
plaudits from both sides of the aisle and being raised by a single mom.
for his bipartisan approach and his The Republican primary provides a Franchot, who comfortably won four
willingness to challenge Trump. potential 2024 preview of the appeal
of candidates in the mold of Hogan
His legacy on the line, Hogan has and Trump, who offer competing vi-
endorsed Kelly Schulz in the Repub- sions for the future of the party.
lican gubernatorial primary. Schulz,
who served as labor and commerce Other top races Tuesday include con-
secretaries in Hogan’s administra- tests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and
tion, faces a challenge from Dan Cox, attorney general. Democratic Sen.
a Trump-backed state legislator who Chris Van Hollen is facing a primary
sued Hogan over his pandemic poli- challenger two months after suffer-
cies and later sought unsuccessfully ing a minor stroke, but is expected to
to impeach him. win renomination. The state’s eight-
member congressional delegation has
On the Democratic side, Tom Perez, an open seat in the Washington sub-
a former U.S. labor secretary and for- urbs. And the daughter of the state’s
mer Democratic Party chair, has the former attorney general is vying for
backing of Pelosi, a native daughter of her father’s old job.
Baltimore, while bestselling author
Wes Moore has the support of Win- It could take days, or even longer, to
frey and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, the determine the winners in the most
No. 2 House Democrat. Other top closely contested races. That’s be-