US judge sets date for trial of Bannon, associate of Trump

Carl Nichols, US District Judge set this Tuesday (7th) the date for the trial of Steve Bannon, who served as chief strategist for the former president Donald Trump, for July 18th. Bannon is under charges of contempt of Congress for challenging a House of Representatives inquiry into the Jan. 6 episode — when riots occurred in US Capitol. This means a compromise between the deadlines sought by the prosecution and the defendant’s lawyers.

Prosecutors wanted a trial in mid-April, while Bannon’s lawyers asked for a date in mid-October to give them more time to prepare. “In the January 6 criminal cases involving people who were on Capitol Hill or who committed violence there, none of those went to a jury on the charges that happened at the time,” said Nichols. The judge noted that the case against Bannon, on the other hand, is a misdemeanor and yet prosecutors want to act at “the speed of light.”

At the same time, Nichols added, a proposal for a trial in October would be “too slow.” Bannon was indicted last month on one count of contempt for refusing to appear at a deposition before the House Select Committee — which investigates the mutiny, and a second count for refusing to give up the requested documents. He, however, pleaded not guilty.

The House, led by the Democrats, voted in October to convict Bannon, leaving it to the Department of Justice, headed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, to decide the charges.

remember the case

A mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed attempt to block formal congressional certification of his defeat in the 2020 presidential election to Biden. The select committee is reviewing Trump’s actions related to these events. Bannon served as top advisor for Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 before becoming chief White House strategist in 2017. He has championed a variety of right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad.