An opponent of Donald Trump, 67 year old Steve Bannon surrendered to federal authorities on Monday for failure to comply with a subpeona.
Following Bannon’s arrest, the former White House aide claimed his actions aligned with a “political hit job” and deemed it “nonsense,” per ABC News. He also “vowed to fight the charges against him,” while maintaining that his actions were in service of Trump.
According to Conservative Brief, the White House aide confronted MyPillow CEO Mike Lendell about some judges coming against him that were appointed by the 45th President surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
The Charges
Bannon is being charged with contempt due to defying a subpoena related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Former White House Strategist is due to appear in court later this afternoon; after being indicted Friday on two counts of criminal contempt for failing to submit federal documents. The first count is for refusing to appear for a congressional deposition; The second count is for refusing to provide documents requested by the committee’s subpoena.
“It’s fascinating to me that so far…it has been Trump judges, mainly Trump-appointed judges, that have been telling—you know, ruling—that across the board on all these, that these cases go forward,” Bannon said to Lindell when he interviewed him on Wednesday during his War Room podcast. “Is that not the case?”
According to ABC News, on the way into the FBI’s Washington Field Office to turn himself in; Bannon made a shout out on one of his social media accounts for his radio show, advising his supporters to not “take their eye off the ball.”
“We’re taking down the Biden regime,” Bannon said, while not directly addressing the contempt of Congress charges against him.
A Second Witness Results In Indictment
The committee has subpeoned 10 former Trump aides. The aides were some of the most senior officials in the final days of the Trump administration. They include former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, senior adviser to the president Stephen Miller, and former national security adviser to Vice President Pence, Keith Kellogg.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows defied his subpeona as well on Friday, mirroring Trump’s past actions; nonetheless extremely evasive and noncompliant with his tax returns; additionally witholding documents and testimony about the insurrection.
Aside from that, Bannon is facing a prison sentence ranging from 30 days to one year; as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000, for each count of contempt of Congress, according to the Justice Department. Following Bannon’s arrest, the former White House aide claimed his actions aligned with a “political hit job” and deemed it “nonsense,” per ABC News. He also “vowed to fight the charges against him,” while maintaining that his actions were in service of Trump.
Witnesses “see that if they don’t cooperate, if they don’t fulfill their lawful duty when subpoenaed, that they too may be prosecuted,” Schiff told host Chuck Todd.
On September 6, the initial subpeona was issued; requesting testimony and documents from Bannon. Furthermore; subsequently, issuing a letter stating that he was “identified as present at the Willard Hotel on Jan. 5, 2021 during an effort to persuade members of Congress to block the certification of the Election the next day, and in relation to other activities on Jan. 6.”
Donald Trump And Bannon’s History
Stephen Kevin Bannon worked for seven months; alongside Donald Trump as the White House’s Chief Strategist during his presidency. It didn’t take long for Bannon to become the chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign; thus appointed Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the Presient following the Trump election.
After Bannon left the White House in August 2017, it was then reported that he and Donald Trump remained in contact. And so the letter went on to say, “You are also described as communicating with then-President Trump on Dec. 30, 2020, and potentially other occasions, urging him to plan for and focus his efforts on Jan. 6.” Continuing, “Moreover you are quoted as saying, on Jan. 5, 2021, that ‘[a]ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow,” the panel wrote in a letter.
According to a senior campaign source from ABC News; Trump brought Bannon on because he respected his instincts and recent successes. On top of that, Trump says he liked that Bannon was a “high energy person” with “big ideas.”
When Did Things Turn For The Worst
Apparently those “big ideas” eventually became ‘small’ however, since the disagreements between Trump and Bannon stem from Bannon’s book chronicling his time in the White House. And then there are parts in the book where Trump’s lawyer calls it “disparaging comments about the President”.
Bannon’s point of view while working in the White House; clearly collided with Trump’s. In 2017, the same year Bannon left the White House;Trump stated in an interview with The New York Post, “I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” Trump told Goodwin.
Trump Says He Is His Own Strategist
“I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist, and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”
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That being said, on the contrary Trump is keeping his distance from his ex-friend, Bannon. “I feel very badly,” Trump said about his former adviser’s arrest, according to CNN. “I haven’t been dealing with him for a very long period of time.”