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The trial of Steve Bannon, former adviser to US President Donald Trump, begins. The controversial right-wing populist is accused of congressional defiance because he previously refused to be questioned about the storming of the US Congress building Capitol last year.
Steve Bannon argued for a long time that he did not need to appear before the congressional inquiry, referring to the special protection (in English “executive privilege”) that includes the presidency.
But according to prosecutors and other legal experts, Bannon is not covered by the legal protection, as he was neither a White House nor a government employee when the deadly storm of the Capitol in Washington DC occurred on January 6 last year.
The news that Bannon had changed his mind and decided to stand as a witness came recently, after Trump said in a letter that he had lifted the special protection for Bannon.
But despite the upheaval, the trial is now underway against Steve Bannon, who is accused of congressional defiance – equivalent to court defiance – for initially refusing to hand over documents to and be questioned by the January 6 committee, which investigates whether Donald Trump had influence over the Capitol storm or not.
Bannon’s lawyers stated last week that it is not excluded that Bannon himself will testify during the trial.
Five people lost their lives in the attack on the Capitol.
Facts
Steve Bannon
Born in 1953 into a Democratic working class family in Norfolk, Virginia. After college, he enlisted in the Navy.
After graduating from Harvard Business School, Bannon worked at the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Started own investment company in 1990.
Invested money in the media and film industry and moved to Los Angeles. Made a tribute documentary in 2004 about his political idol, former president Ronald Reagan.
Took over Breitbart News in 2012, a platform for the so-called alt-right movements that are considered to have links to white power groups.
President of the US President Donald Trump’s election campaign in August 2016. After the election victory in November, he was appointed Trump’s chief strategist, with a supposedly large influence on Trump’s isolationist worldview.
Dismissed in August 2017. Returned to Breitbart News and declared war on the Republican political establishment.
Forced to leave Breitbart News in January 2018 after in the author Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury” accused Trump’s son of treason and questioned the president’s mental stability.
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