Steve Bannon’s lawyer asks to go away Jan. 6-related case, says he could also be witness

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) – A lawyer for Steve Bannon is searching for to withdraw from representing the adviser to former President Donald Trump in his prison contempt case, citing the potential for being referred to as as a witness at trial, a courtroom doc on Friday confirmed .

Bannon was charged final 12 months with two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena issued by a Home of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters. Bannon has refused to supply testimony or paperwork, citing Trump’s declare – rejected by different courts – that the fabric is protected below a authorized doctrine referred to as govt privilege.

Bannon, who has pleaded not responsible, has to this point didn’t get his July 18 trial dismissed or delayed. US District Choose Carl Nichols has scheduled a listening to within the case on Monday.

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The choose in April blocked Bannon’s try to inform jurors that he relied on recommendation from attorneys when he defied the congressional subpoena, an argument referred to as the “recommendation of counsel” protection. learn extra

His lawyer Robert Costello, within the courtroom submitting on Friday, mentioned he served as “Bannon’s sole foundation of details about the information and the regulation regarding this matter” and that whereas he may function his legal professional earlier than the trial it appeared much less clear that he may symbolize Bannon as soon as proceedings started.

“Because it seems there can be a trial, and since it seems that at this cut-off date I is likely to be referred to as as a witness, I need to reluctantly ask the Court docket to grant my request” asking to withdraw as trial counsel, Robert Costello wrote in a submitting with the US District Court docket for the District of Columbia.

Bannon, a distinguished determine in right-wing media circles, was an architect of Trump’s 2016 presidential victory and served as White Home chief strategist in 2017.

He was additionally charged in 2020 with conspiring to defraud donors as a part of a personal fundraising marketing campaign promising to construct Trump’s wall on the US-Mexico border. His case was dropped after Trump pardoned him in his remaining hours in workplace in January 2021. learn extra

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Reporting by Susan Heavey Enhancing by Mark Heinrich

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