Washington | With his criminal trial for contempt of Congress approaching, Steve Bannon, an ally of former president Donald Trump who was involved in his plans to overturn the 2020 election, has informed the House committee investigating the Capitol attack that he is willing to testify.

His decision is a remarkable about-face for Mr Bannon, who until Saturday had been among the most obstinate and defiant of the committee’s potential witnesses. He had promised to turn the criminal case against him into the “misdemeanour from hell” for the Justice Department.