Trump ally Bannon taken into custody on contempt charges

WASHINGTON – Steve Bannon, a longtime state of erstwhile President Donald Trump, surrendered to national authorities connected Monday to look contempt charges aft defying a subpoena from a House committee investigating January’s insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon was taken into custody Monday greeting and is expected to look successful tribunal aboriginal successful the afternoon. The 67-year-old was indicted connected Friday connected 2 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.

The indictment came arsenic a 2nd expected witness, erstwhile White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied his ain subpoena from the committee connected Friday and arsenic Trump has escalated his ineligible battles to withhold documents and grounds astir the insurrection.

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

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.

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When Bannon declined to look for his deposition successful October, his lawyer said the erstwhile Trump advisor had been directed by a lawyer for Trump citing enforcement privilege not to reply questions.

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