The DOJ has responded to Steve Bannon’s sudden desire to testify by telling him that he is still being prosecuted.
DOJ Tells Steve Bannon That He Is Still Being Prosecuted
The New York Times reported that the DOJ responded to Bannon’s offer:
“The defendant’s last-minute efforts to testify, almost nine months after his default — he has still made no effort to produce records — are irrelevant to whether he willfully refused to comply in October 2021 with the Select Committee’s subpoena,” federal prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors also disclosed they had recently interviewed Justin Clark, a lawyer for Mr. Trump. They said Mr. Clark told them the former president “never invoked executive privilege over any particular information or materials” and that Mr. Bannon’s lawyer “misrepresented to the committee what the former president’s counsel had told the defendant’s attorney.”
Steve Bannon Was Trying To Establish A Fake Executive Privilege Claim To Get The Charges Dismissed
The DOJ’s response also sheds some light on why Bannon and Trump attempted to establish executive privilege. The former president and his former campaign manager were trying to get the charges waived against Bannon and provide Trump with a future shield against prosecution.
However, the Justice Department was prepared and had already done its homework. The DOJ has evidence that Bannon lied to the 1/6 Committee, and there is no executive privilege claim over Steve Bannon’s testimony or the materials that the 1/6 Committee requested.
Trump and Steve Bannon were trying to con the 1/6 Committee and the DOJ, but it didn’t work, and Bannon is still being prosecuted.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association