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Saturday 23 July 2022
Steve Bannon's contempt conviction hailed by 1/6 committee

By ASHRAF KHALIL Thompson by name in his
Associated Press daily statements outside
WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve the courthouse, at one
Bannon, a longtime ally of point implying that Thomp-
former President Donald son's COVID-19 diagnosis
Trump, was convicted on last week was faked to
Friday of contempt charg- avoid pressure to appear.
es for defying a congres- Thompson and committee
sional subpoena from the Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-
House committee investi- Wyo., hailed the verdict in
gating the Jan. 6 insurrec- a statement, calling it "a
tion at the U.S. Capitol. victory for the rule of law
Bannon, 68, was convicted and an important affirma-
after a four-day trial in fed- tion of the Select Commit-
eral court on two counts: tee's work."
one for refusing to appear "Just as there must be ac-
for a deposition and the countability for all those re-
other for refusing to provide sponsible for the events of
documents in response to January 6th, anyone who
the committee's subpoe- obstructs our investigation
na. The jury of 8 men and into these matters should
4 women deliberated just face consequences," they
under three hours. said. "No one is above the
He faces up to two years law."
in federal prison when he's Prosecutors focused on the
sentenced on Oct. 21. series of letters exchanged
Each count carries a mini- between the Jan. 6 com-
mum sentence of 30 days mittee and Bannon's law-
in jail. yers. The correspondence
David Schoen, one of Ban- Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, center, walks to speak with reporters as he departs shows Thompson immedi-
federal court on Friday, July 22, 2022, in Washington. Accompanying Bannon are his attorneys
non's lawyers said outside David Schoen, left, and M. Evan Corcoran. ately dismissing Bannon's
the courthouse the verdict Associated Press claim that he was exempt-
would not stand. "This is ed by Trump's claim of ex-
round one," Schoen said. give testimony and provide "were in flux." They pointed contempt of Congress, a ecutive privilege and ex-
"You will see this case re- documents. His refusal to to the fact that Bannon month after the Justice plicitly threatening Bannon
versed on appeal." do so was deliberate, and had reversed course shortly Department received the with criminal prosecution.
Likewise, Bannon himself now a jury has found that before the trial kicked off House panel's referral. "The defense wants to make
said, "We may have lost the he must pay the conse- — after Trump waived his Bannon's attorney Evan this hard, difficult and con-
battle here today; we're quences." objection — and had of- Corcoran told jurors Friday fusing," said Assistant U.S.
not going to lose this war." The committee sought fered to testify before the in his closing arguments Attorney Amanda Vaughn
He thanked the jurors for Bannon's testimony over committee. that those deadlines were in her closing statement.
their service and said he his involvement in Trump's In closing arguments Fri- mere "placeholders" while "This is not difficult. This is not
had only one disappoint- efforts to overturn the 2020 day morning, both sides re- lawyers on each side ne- hard. There were only two
ment — "and that is the presidential election. Ban- emphasized their primary gotiated terms. witnesses because it's as
gutless members of that non had initially argued positions from the trial. The Corcoran said the commit- simple as it seems."
show trial committee, the that his testimony was pro- prosecution maintained tee "rushed to judgment" The defense Thursday mo-
J-6 committee didn't have tected by Trump's claim of that Bannon willfully ig- because it "wanted to tioned for an acquittal,
the guts to come down executive privilege. But the nored clear and explicit make an example of Steve saying the prosecution had
here and testify." House panel and the Jus- deadlines, and the defense Bannon." not proved its case. In mak-
Prosecutors were just as firm tice Department contend claimed Bannon believed Corcoran also hinted that ing his motion for acquit-
on the other side of the ver- such a claim is dubious be- those deadlines were flex- the government's main tal before Judge Nichols,
dict. cause Trump had fired Ban- ible and subject to nego- witness, Jan. 6 committee Bannon attorney Corcoran
"The subpoena to Stephen non from the White House tiation. chief counsel Kristin Amer- said that "no reasonable ju-
Bannon was not an invita- in 2017 and Bannon was Bannon was served with ling, was personally biased. ror could conclude that Mr.
tion that could be reject- thus a private citizen when a subpoena on Sept. 23 Amerling acknowledged Bannon refused to comply."
ed or ignored," Matthew he was consulting with the last year ordering him to on the stand that she is a Once the motion was
Graves, the U.S. attorney in then-president in the run-up provide requested docu- lifelong Democrat and has made the defense rested
Washington, said in a state- to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. ments to the committee been friends with one of its case without putting
ment. Bannon's lawyers tried to by Oct. 7 and appear in the prosecutors for years. on any witnesses, telling
"Mr. Bannon had an obliga- argue during the trial that person by Oct. 14. Bannon Jan. 6 Committee Chair- Nichols that Bannon saw
tion to appear before the he didn't refuse to coop- was indicted in November man Bennie Thompson, no point in testifying since
House Select Committee to erate and that the dates on two counts of criminal D-Miss., was a particular the judge's previous rulings
target for Bannon and his had gutted his planned av-
LIKE US ON defense team. His name enues of defense. Among

things,
was brought up multiple other
Bannon's
times during the trial, al- team was barred from
though U.S. District Judge claiming Bannon believed
Carl Nichols had warned he was shielded by execu-
the defense not to claim in tive privilege or calling as
court that the committee witnesses House Speaker
Facebook.com/arubatoday/ itself was politically biased. Nancy Pelosi or members
Bannon harshly criticized of the House panel.q