Steve Bannon says he’s willing to testify before January 6 committee after Trump waives claims of executive privilege
(CNN) – Steve Bannon — who defied a congressional subpoena and is set to go to trial on criminal contempt charges — told the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection on Saturday that he is now willing to testify, ideally at a public hearing, according to a letter obtained by CNN.
Bannon’s reversal comes after he received a letter from former President Donald Trump waiving executive privilege, although both the House select committee and federal prosecutors contend that privilege claim never gave Bannon carte blanche to ignore a congressional subpoena in the first place.
“When you first received the Subpoena to testify and provide documents, I invoked Executive Privilege. However, I watched how unfairly you and others have been treated, having to spend vast amounts of money on legal fees, and all of the trauma you must be going through for the love of your Country, and out of respect for the Office of the President,” Trump wrote in a Saturday letter to Bannon, which was also obtained by CNN.
“Therefore, if you reach an agreement on a time and place for your testimony, I will waive Executive Privilege for you, which allows you to go in and testify truthfully and fairly” Trump added, as he went on to decry the committee of “Thugs and Hacks.”
The letters were first reported by The Guardian.
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Steve Bannon — who defied a congressional subpoena and is set to go to trial on criminal contempt charges — told the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection that he is now willing to testifyhttps://t.co/rS5BufaFUr
— CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2022
Lofgren says Steve Bannon likely to be deposed by Jan. 6 committee https://t.co/MmkngI6yjc pic.twitter.com/XpfuS1nmBv
— The Hill (@thehill) July 10, 2022
"I expect that we will be hearing from him."
January 6 committee member @RepZoeLofgren confirms to @jaketapper that former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is willing to testify, according to a letter from his lawyer. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/85BKnb80ra
— CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2022
In a pattern that (as I already said) EXACTLY mimics what is going on now, in 2018, Bannon's first interview with HPSCI he invoked Trump's orders not to testify.
A month later (and after consulting Nunes), he came back, and basically read a Trump script.https://t.co/TxzvFA59g8
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) July 9, 2022
Step 1: Don't give Bannon what he wants. https://t.co/QUAavU8lpo
— Steve Saideman (@smsaideman) July 10, 2022
Trump is no longer president; he doesn’t have any executive privilege to waive.
However, I too have my suspicions over Bannon’s sudden willingness to testify. Is he looking for a deal? And how will he testify/? Is he going to plead the Fifth, give answers like “I don’t know” or “I don’t recall” or maybe out and out lie?
There is something fishy about all this.
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