President Trump's former chief strategist and campaign CEO Stephen Bannon was reportedly subpoenaed last week by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before a grand jury, a person familiar with the decision told The New York Times. This is the first known instance of a grand jury subpoena being used on someone in Trump's inner circle, and "could be a negotiating tactic," the Times writes, noting that Mueller "is likely to allow Mr. Bannon to forgo the grand jury appearance if he agrees to instead be questioned by investigators in the less formal setting of the special counsel's offices in Washington."
But as Solomon L. Wisenberg, who served as a prosecutor for the independent counsel that investigated former President Bill Clinton, observed: "By forcing someone to testify through a subpoena, you are providing the witness with cover because they can say, 'I had no choice — I had to go in and testify about everything I knew.'"
Bannon testified behind closed doors Tuesday in front of the House Intelligence Committee which, like Mueller, is looking for evidence of Russian interference in the election. Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC News that he has questions for Bannon about Trump-related money laundering, among other inquiries.