Steve Bannon willing to testify before January 6 panel

Facing trial for contempt of Congress, former Trump adviser reverses course with approval from ex-president.

Steve Bannon arrives at the FBI’s Washington last November. Picture: AFP

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has told the committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol he is willing to testify, reversing course as he faced trial for contempt of congress over his refusal to co-operate with the panel.

Democrat representative Zoe Lofgren said the committee received a letter from Mr Bannon’s lawyer saying he was willing to testify, and she indicated the panel would seek an interview.

“We have wanted him to testify,” Ms Lofgren told CNN overnight Sunday. “I expect that we will be hearing from him. And there are many questions that we have for him.”

According to a letter from Donald Trump to Mr Bannon posted by the former president on his social media site, Truth Social, Mr Trump said he would waive any privilege claim, citing what he called unfair treatment of Mr Bannon and mounting legal fees his former adviser was facing. With that claim waived, Mr Bannon’s lawyer told the committee he would be “willing to, and indeed prefers, to testify at your public hearing”.

Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to the violence on January 6, 2021, and called the committee a sham. He was impeached by the House of Representatives last year for inciting an insurrection but acquitted in the Senate.

The January 6 committee subpoenaed Mr Bannon last year for testimony and documents in connection with the events surrounding the attack, in which a mob of Trump supporters sought to halt the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. The committee said it was looking into reports that Mr Bannon encouraged Mr Trump and members of congress to interfere with the certification.

After Mr Bannon ignored the subpoena, the Democrat-controlled house voted to send the case to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Mr Bannon was indicted on two counts of criminal contempt of congress last year. A federal district judge last month denied a motion from Mr Bannon to dismiss his indictment.

Mr Bannon served as a White House adviser at the beginning of the Trump administration but wasn’t employed by the White House around the time of the 2020 election. Mr Bannon’s counsel previously had told the committee he wouldn’t co-operate because Mr Trump had claimed the subpoena sought information potentially protected by executive privilege.

On Friday, former White House counsel Pat Cipollone sat for about eight hours of interviews with the committee, responding to a subpoena after other witnesses’ testimony raised new questions about what he witnessed on January 6 and the days leading up to it.

In an interview broadcast overnight Sunday on NBC. Democrat representative Stephanie Murphy said Mr Cipollone claimed privilege on conversations with the former president but said the committee “still got a lot of relevant information from him”.

The developments come as the committee is wrapping up a series of public hearings.

The committee has had six hearings this year, and said it plans to hold its next public hearing overnight Tuesday. Questioning of witnesses is set to focus on the role of extremist groups during the attack.

The committee’s eighth hearing is expected to take place on Thursday night (Friday AEST) and is expected to include an account of events inside the White House on January 6. Democrat representative Elaine Luria and her Republican colleague, Adam Kinzinger, are expected to lead questioning of witnesses during the hearing. “The president obviously had to have known there was an insurrection. So where was he? What was he doing? It’s a very important hearing,” Mr Kinzinger said on ABC.

Thursday’s hearing is expected to be the last of the summer hearings. The committee could change its plans as it receives new information and testimony from witnesses. Members have said it could hold extra hearings before the end of the year.

The Wall Street Journal