The American justice selected the jury on Monday to examine the refusal of Steve Bannon, a close friend of Donald Trump, to cooperate in the parliamentary investigation into the assault on the Capitol. His trial for “obstructing the investigative prerogatives of Congress” will therefore enter forcefully this Tuesday with the preliminary statements of the prosecution and the defense.
A low-key but highly influential adviser, he played a crucial role in the Republican billionaire’s election in 2016, putting a decidedly populist spin on his campaign, before being ousted the following year.
The two men, who remained close, had exchanged in the days before the January 6, 2021 attack on the headquarters of Congress, according to the House of Representatives commission in charge of clarifying the role of the former president in this coup.
Change as your trial draws near
To find out the nature of their discussions, the commission subpoenaed Steve Bannon to testify and produce documents. He refused, citing the right of presidents to keep certain conversations secret.
His refusal led to his being charged in November with “obstructing” the work of Congress. He then promised “hell” to the Democrats for their setbacks.
Given the extreme political sensitivity of the case, it took a whole day to select the 22 potential jurors, a number that will be reduced to twelve regulars and two alternates on Tuesday morning. As his trial neared, Steve Bannon, 68, turned around and agreed to cooperate with MPs. The prosecution had denounced “a last-minute reversal to avoid” a conviction and the judge in charge of the case wanted to keep the trial.
Source: BFM TV
