Steve Bannon's contempt of Congress trial is expected to be swift

Steve Bannon
(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Stephen Bannon, former President Donald Trump's one-time strategist and campaign chairman, is going on trial Monday to face two counts of contempt of Congress over his flouting of a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, the Trump appointee overseeing Bannon's trial in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., rejected most of Bannon's proposed defense strategies in hearings last week.

"What's the point of going to trial if there are no defenses?" Bannon lawyer David Schoen asked after Nichols threw out Bannon's proposed motions to delay the trial, put prominent Democrats on the stand for questioning, and take shelter under what Bannon unsuccessfully claimed was Trump's invocation of executive privilege. "Agreed," Nichols replied.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.