Federal Judge Carl Nichols has denied Steve Bannon’s request to delay his trial for one month. Bannon, a Trump supporter and former White House adviser, is embroiled in a yearlong war with the Jan. 6 Select Committee.
This is the second setback for Bannon. RTM previously reported that on July 11 U. S. District Judge Nichols declined Steve Bannon’s request to delay his contempt of Congress trial, “dismissing the former Trump adviser’s reasoning that publicity around the closely-watched trial would make it difficult for a jury to be impartial.”
“I see no reason for extending this case any longer,” said Nichols after an hours-long hearing in federal court.
At the time, the judge noted that he would “reconsider granting a delay only if it proves impossible to select an unbiased jury.”
On Tuesday morning, Evan Corcoran, an attorney for Bannon, asked Nichols for a one-month continuance after a dispute regarding admissible evidence.
After a short recess to consider the motion, Nichols said, “The motion to continue is denied.”
Nichols noted that certain letters could be admitted as evidence, though he left open the possibility that some portions could be redacted before being presented to the jury.
Bannon is charged with two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the Jan. 6 Select Committee’s requests for documents.
Bannon has maintained the committee’s work is highly partisan and that the documents in question are protected by executive privilege.
Fox News reported that “earlier this month, Trump declared he was waiving executive privilege regarding Bannon, clearing the way for him to testify before the committee.”
The jury pool selection process is not yet complete, though the Fox report notes that 22 potential jurors are near the completion of the selection process.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
