Decide denies trial delay for former Trump aide Steven Bannon on Jan.6 contempt of Congress costs

A federal decide on Thursday as soon as once more denied former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s try to delay his trial on felony contempt of Congress costs stemming from the Home investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Bannon’s trial is ready to start Monday, after Decide Carl Nichols of U.S. District Court docket in Washington, D.C., rejected a movement from Bannon to delay it till no less than mid-October.

“We’re nonetheless going to be at trial on Monday,” Nichols stated, NBC Information reported from the courthouse.

Bannon’s attorneys had argued in a court docket submitting Wednesday that the massive quantity of publicity forward of the trial raised the chance of prejudice in opposition to him among the many jurors to be chosen to listen to his case.

They famous that CNN is scheduled to air a one-hour documentary on Bannon on Sunday night, the day earlier than the trial is ready to start out.

Nichols on Monday had rejected a previous bid by Bannon’s attorneys to postpone the trial by three months. Bannon’s lawyer in that effort had argued that media protection of the Home hearings would hurt his proper to a good trial.

In that very same listening to, the decide additionally dominated that Bannon couldn’t argue at trial that he didn’t adjust to the subpoena on the grounds of govt privilege, and restricted who he may name as witnesses. The rulings gutted Bannon’s protection technique — prompting one among his attorneys to reportedly ask in court docket, “What is the level in going to trial right here if there aren’t any defenses?”

Bannon didn’t seem within the Washington courtroom on Monday or Thursday.

Bannon, who served simply seven months as a high White Home adviser to former President Donald Trump, faces no less than 30 days in jail if convicted of the 2 contempt costs he faces for refusing to cooperate with the Home choose committee’s probe of the Capitol riot.

That is creating information. Please verify for updates.

— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.