Former United States President Donald Trump's former senior aide, Steve Bannon, pleads not guilty to contempt of Congress proceedings despite surrendering himself to the FBI after defying the House Select Committee's subpoena that was part of its investigations of the Jan 6. Capitol Hill riot.
The notice of Bannon's plea came in advance of the scheduled hearing on Thursday morning that will become the former aide's first appearance before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. The latter will be overseeing the former Trump aide's case and any possible trial for contempt for his failure to testify or turn over documents in the committee's investigation of the events on Jan. 6.
Bannon Pleads Not Guilty
However, according to the former aide's filing, Bannon believed that the judge did not need to read his charges in open court. The proceedings could result in the court skipping a formal arraignment on Thursday. The situation would also lead to the virtual status conference set for the morning becoming a simple check-in where they will discuss timing and other procedural steps in Bannon's case, CNN reported.
Bannon made his first appearance in federal court on Monday after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of contempt of Congress last week. During his surrender, the former Trump aide said he will be fighting the congressional subpoena, telling reporters that his prosecution was a politically motivated attack by U.S. President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
On Oct. 21, the Democrats-led House of Representatives voted to hold Bannon in contempt, giving the Justice Department, that Garland leads, the authority to decide on any charges. Former President Trump has sought to prevent the House Select Committee from acquiring House records. He also told his allies to defy subpoenas and not cooperate with the Jan. 6 investigations.
Inciting the Capitol Hill Riot
Trump has long claimed that a former United States president had a right to keep requested materials confidential under what is known as executive privilege. One of his former senior aides, Bannon, who is a prominent figure in right-wing media circles, was a crucial part of the former president's win in the 2016 elections and served as the Republican businessman's chief strategist in 2017, Yahoo News reported.
While Democrats and other critics of former President Trump celebrated Bannon's criminal charges last week, many are now seeing the negative influences of politically pursuing the former aide. Some have argued that the underlying purpose of the prosecution, which is to force Bannon to cooperate with the committee, will not be reached.
Some say that Bannon could prefer to risk it and accept a fairly short jail sentence, allowing him to receive support for being a martyr for Trump supporters. But even if the former Trump aide cooperates with the committee, whether or not the public learns anything new about him or Trump and their alleged involvement in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot remains to be seen.
During Bannon's podcast the day before the unprecedented storm of the Capitol, the former aide said that "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow." Additionally, the former president has publicly encouraged his supporters to breach the Capitol, an act that has caused him to be the first American president to be impeached twice, The Hill reported.
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