Steve Bannon declines to present defence case at contempt trial

The jury could now get the case as early as Friday

Steve Bannon’s legal team opted not to put on a defence case in the strategist’s contempt of Congress trial.

On Thursday, the former Donald Trump aide confirmed to US District Judge Carl Nichols that he would not be testifying, saying “Yes, your honour” when asked if he was waiving that right.

His legal team has argued that Mr Bannon did not defy a subpoena to appear before the House select committee investigating the pro-Trump January 6 riot.

They have said that they believed a deadline for a deposition and to hand over documents was flexible if the two sides were still negotiating.

David Schoen, Mr Bannon’s lawyer, also told the federal court in Washington DC that Mr Bannon’s defence was harmed because of his inability to call members of the committee as witnesses.

Judge Nichols eventually dismissed the jury for the day, with jury instructions, closing arguments and deliberations beginning on Friday.

Mr Bannon’s legal team asked the judge to issue a direct acquittal arguing that the Justice Department had not proven their case. The judge said he would rule later on that motion.

Prosecutors have argued Mr Bannon clearly flouted the committee’s requests, ignoring straightforward deadlines and the official process to raise confidentiality objections.

Mr Bannon was one of the first people subpoenaed by the committee in September, owing to his reported presence in the infamous Willard Hotel “war room” of Trump allies in Washington, DC, on January 5, and Mr Bannon’s earlier predictions on his podcast that “all hell” was “going to break loose” on January 6.

“This case is not about what happened on January 6,” assistant US attorney Amanda Vaughan said in her opening statement on Wednesday. “This case is about the defendant thumbing his nose at the orderly processes of our government.”