Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon requested Wednesday that his criminal trial for contempt of Congress charges be delayed due to the publicity surrounding the Jan. 6 committee’s hearings.
Bannon, who is facing two charges of contempt of Congress for failing to appear before the House select committee after he was subpoenaed, is scheduled to begin the trial for the misdemeanors on July 18. However, his lawyers claimed the coverage of the committee could taint a jury’s ruling and argued that the trial should be rescheduled until October.
JUDGE REJECTS STEVE BANNON’S ATTEMPT TO TOSS OUT CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS CHARGES
“Select Committee members have made inflammatory remarks about the culpability of President Trump and his closest advisers, including Mr. Bannon, and have broadcast to millions of people their purported ‘findings’ on issues that may prejudice the minds of jurors in this case,” Bannon’s attorneys said in a court filing to Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Politico reported.
The Democratic-led House referred the onetime White House chief strategist to the Justice Department after he defied a September subpoena that called for his testimony and court documents. He was charged three weeks later, though Bannon has pleaded not guilty.
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In making their case for a delay, Bannon’s team noted how the Justice Department supported postponing the seditious conspiracy Jan. 6 trial set for August involving Proud Boys leaders due to the high-profile Jan. 6 committee summer hearings. The judge “reluctantly” agreed to move the trial back to December.
