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Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s testimony before the Jan. 6 Committee kicked off on Monday morning, as jury selection begins in Washington D.C.
According to a report from Just the News, Bannon is facing “contempt” charges for defying the Jan. 6 Committee’s attempt to subpoena him in the past.
Reuters reported that Bannon is specifically facing two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress for failing to provide testimony and requested documents to the panel.
Last week, President Trump penned a letter to Bannon that released the former White House strategist from executive privilege, enabling him to testify in front of the Jan. 6 Committee.
“When you first received the Subpoena to testify and provide documents, I invoked executive privilege,” Trump stated.
He continued, “…If you reach an agreement on a time and place for your testimony, I will waive Executive Privilege for you, which allows for you to testify truthfully and fairly, as per the request of the Unselect Committee of political Thugs and Hacks…”
Senior Editor of Human Events, Jack Posobiec, shared a video on Twitter of Bannon arriving at court with a smile on Monday morning.
“Steve Bannon arrives in court with a smile as his show trial begins in the imperial capitol,” Posobiec wrote.
Just the News reported that Bannon has previously maintained that he may not be able to be prosecuted for contempt due to the previous protection of executive privilege.
According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols previously declined to delay Bannon’s trial, despite Bannon’s argument that the trial being televised could result in an unfairly biased jury pool.
President Trump has long decried the highly partisan panel of Democrats and “RINOs” who comprise the Jan. 6 Committee.
“It is a partisan Kangaroo Court,” he wrote in his letter to Bannon. He also pointed out that the committee has not allowed “Due Process” or “Cross-Examination.”
