Donald Trump confidant Stephen K. Bannon was “thumbing his nose” at Congress and the law when he refused to comply last year with a subpoena about the Jan. 6 attack, a prosecutor told a jury Tuesday at opening statements of the right-wing podcaster’s trial for contempt.
“The defendant decided he was above the law, and he didn’t have to follow the government’s orders like his fellow citizens,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn said in federal court. “So this whole case is about a guy who just refused to show up? Yes, it is that simple.”
Lawyers for Bannon dismissed Vaughn’s characterization, saying their client was still negotiating with the House Jan. 6 committee when he was accused of a crime. “No one ignored the subpoena,” said defense lawyer M. Evan Corcoran. “It’s called negotiation, it’s called accommodation.”
Bannon’s trial comes amid intense public focus on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob, and lingering questions about who shares responsibility for the violence that sought to negate President Biden’s electoral victory.
The trial is being held in a federal courthouse blocks from Capitol Hill, where for the past month the Jan. 6 legislative committee has convened closely watched hearings showcasing the mayhem of that day and the events leading up to it. The next hearing, scheduled for Thursday evening, will focus on Trump’s actions while the Capitol was breached.
After Tuesday’s trial testimony ended, Bannon erupted outside the courthouse,...
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