Trump ally Steve Bannon agrees to testify earlier than Jan. 6 committee

Steve Bannon instructed the Home committee that is investigating the Jan. 6 revolt that he’s prepared to testify, ideally at a public listening to.

Bannon, a one-time advisor to former President Donald Trump, had been set to go on trial subsequent week on legal contempt costs for refusing to cooperate with the congressional probe of the Capitol riot.

Bannon’s lawyer argued on the time that he was adhering to the assertion of government privilege that had been claimed by Trump, which allegedly barred Bannon from offering the supplies requested by the choose committee.

However Trump on Saturday despatched a letter to Bannon that waived government privilege, although the Home choose committee and federal prosecutors stated government privilege by no means served as an argument for noncompliance with a congressional subpoena.

“Whenever you first obtained the Subpoena to testify and supply paperwork, I invoked Govt Privilege. Nevertheless, I watched how unfairly you and others have been handled, having to spend huge quantities of cash on authorized charges, and all the trauma you should be going via for the love of your Nation, and out of respect for the Workplace of the President,” Trump wrote within the letter.

“Due to this fact, should you attain an settlement on a time and place to your testimony, I’ll waive Govt Privilege for you, which lets you go in and testify in truth and pretty,” Trump added.

Representatives for Bannon despatched the letter together with their very own follow-up to the Jan. 6 committee.

“Whereas Mr. Bannon has been steadfast in his convictions, circumstances have now modified,” Bannon’s lawyer Bob Costello stated in a letter. “Mr. Bannon is prepared to, and certainly prefers, to testify at your public listening to.”

It is unclear how his impending trial could be affected if Bannon finally ends up testifying earlier than the committee. Bannon, who has pleaded not responsible to 2 counts of contempt of Congress, faces a most sentence of 1 12 months in jail and a nice of as much as $100,000 for every depend if convicted.

A spokesperson for the committee didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark. Bannon lawyer Costello declined to remark additional than confirming the letters.