Steve Bannon issued a subpoena in Trump January 6 probe: Ex-President’s ally was told to hand over documents and testify in May over Capitol riot and bid to stay in power
Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed by the federal grand jury investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The subpoena, for documents and testimony, was sent out in late May, NBC News reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
Bannon, 69, co-founded Breitbart news and served as Donald Trump‘s chief strategist for the first seven months of his term. He now hosts a podcast, and remains one of the most influential voices in MAGA circles.
Bannon was found guilty in July 2022 of contempt of Congress for defying a demand to appear before a committee investigating the Capitol attack.
He has appealed that verdict and has yet to be sentenced.
Steve Bannon, 69, has been issued with a subpoena for documents and testimony relating to the January 6 riot, it was reported on Wednesday
Donald Trump is pictured on January 6, 2021 – speaking shortly before his supporters stormed the Capitol
On the eve of the January 6 riot, Bannon told his podcast listeners: ‘All hell is going to break loose tomorrow’
Separately, Bannon is set to go on trial on May 27, 2024, on criminal charges over a push to fund Trump’s wall along the U.S. southern border.
Bannon was vocal in his demand that Trump contest the November 2020 election results, and demanded patriots rise up to challenge the announcement.
On January 5, 2021, he told his podcast listeners: ‘All hell is going to break loose tomorrow.’
Bannon also urged Trump in December 2020 to focus his attention on January 6, according to the book Peril, by authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
The authors also reported that Trump called Bannon after a contentious January 5 meeting with then-Vice President Mike Pence, where Pence told Trump he did not have the authority to block the certification of the 2020 election results.
Trump supporters are seen on January 6, 2021, storming the Capitol
Jack Smith was appointed in November as special counsel to investigate Trump’s handling of classified information and his actions around January 6
The circumstances surrounding January 6 are being investigated by Jack Smith, who was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November.
Smith is also investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, was revealed on Monday to have testified before Smith’s team – although it was not clear if he discussed the classified documents, or January 6, or both.