Closing arguments were expected Friday in Steve Bannon's contempt of Congress trial, with the jury likely to get the case against the onetime Donald Trump ally.
Bannon is charged with two counts of criminal contempt for refusing to appear before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol and the events leading up to the deadly riot. Each count carries a minimum of 30 days of jail and up to a year.Bannon declined to testify Thursday and his lawyers did not call any witnesses, instead arguing the judge should dismiss the charges as unproven. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols didn't immediately rule on the request.
The panel's subpoena demanded any documents or communications relating to Trump and others in his orbit, including lawyer Rudy Giuliani and extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Corcoran has tried to establish that the deadline for Bannon to appear before the House committee was flexible, as long as the two sides were negotiating over the timing. He said testimony from the House panel's chief lawyer, Kristin Amerling, made it clear "that the dates were in flux."Bannon's team told the judge that Bannon saw no point in testifying at his trial since Nichols' previous rulings had gutted his avenues of defence.
Much of the trial testimony has been built around Amerling, who explained the extent to which the committee tried to engage Bannon and the timeline leading up to the missed deadline.
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