(PatriotWise.com)- Just before the prosecution rested its case in the trial against Steve Bannon, the presiding District Court Judge Carl Nichols reportedly warned the defense team against turning its own case into a “political circus.”
The former White House advisor is being held in contempt after prosecutors are making the case that Bannon knowingly ignored subpoenas issued by the Democratic-led January 6 Select Committee. Ignoring the partisan committee putting on political theater is being argued as showing contempt for Congress.
“This case is about the defendant thumbing his nose at the orderly process of our government. It is that simple. Congress was entitled [to the information]…He chose to show his contempt for Congress and its processes,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn for the prosecution reportedly said in her opening statement.
The prosecution seeks to illustrate that Bannon deliberately ignored the subpoenas, but the defense is arguing that Bannon was still in talks with the committee that decided to prosecute him.
“No one ignored the subpoena,” defense attorney Evan Corcoran said. “Quite the contrary, there was direct engagement” with the committee.
Social media posts do show Bannon saying that he will “not comply with their subpoena.” Prosecutors used another post that said, “I stand with Trump,” as justification for his non-compliance.
On the last day of the prosecution’s turn, the presiding judge warned the defense over making the trial a political circus, barring the defense from using the argument that Bannon was somehow protected by Trump’s executive privilege, which the former president waived before the trial.
“I do not intend for this to become a political case, a political circus, a forum for partisan politics,” Judge Nichols said.
The defense claims that the intention is not to turn this political, however, the prosecution’s intention is clear in their intentions to tie Bannon to the January 6 riot. One of the prosecution’s witness, Kristin Amerling, attempted to show how important Bannon is to the January 6 Committee by linking Bannon to the riot over a comment he made prior saying “all hell is going to break loose.”
