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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Steve Bannon refuses lawmakers' questions under 'White House instructions' | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Bannon’s lawyer reputedly said former strategist, facing subpoena, would otherwise have been willing to respond | |
| Ben Jacobs in Washington | Ben Jacobs in Washington |
| Wed 17 Jan 2018 07.12 GMT | Wed 17 Jan 2018 07.12 GMT |
| First published on Wed 17 Jan 2018 01.53 GMT | First published on Wed 17 Jan 2018 01.53 GMT |
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| Steve Bannon refused to answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee during a closed-door session on Tuesday, even after he was issued a subpoena to testify by the committee, saying that the White House had told him not to. | |
| Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said during a news conference after the marathon hearing, that Bannon’s lawyer had told the committee that the former White House aide “was willing to answer our questions but under instructions from the White House not to”. Schiff condemned what he called “a gag order from the White House”. | Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said during a news conference after the marathon hearing, that Bannon’s lawyer had told the committee that the former White House aide “was willing to answer our questions but under instructions from the White House not to”. Schiff condemned what he called “a gag order from the White House”. |
| Bannon, the former Breitbart head, testified before the committee but refused to answer any questions about his time in the transition, in the Trump administration and even after he left the White House. | Bannon, the former Breitbart head, testified before the committee but refused to answer any questions about his time in the transition, in the Trump administration and even after he left the White House. |
| The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. | The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. |
| Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? | Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? |
| While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. | While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. |
| The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) | The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) |
| Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. | Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. |
| The investigations have an open timeline. | The investigations have an open timeline. |
| The hearing was left in recess and the subpoena remains in effect, which means that Bannon could be called back to testify under oath. | The hearing was left in recess and the subpoena remains in effect, which means that Bannon could be called back to testify under oath. |
| Schiff said: “This was the first time we saw a witness refuse to answer the questions under the instructions of the White House or claim that the White House might later invoke privilege.” | Schiff said: “This was the first time we saw a witness refuse to answer the questions under the instructions of the White House or claim that the White House might later invoke privilege.” |
| Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Bannon had also received a grand jury subpoena last week from the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Moscow. | |
| The intelligence committee’s chair, Devin Nunes, acknowledged its subpoena to reporters earlier Tuesday. “Of course I authorized the subpoena,” said the California Republican. “That’s how the rules work.” | The intelligence committee’s chair, Devin Nunes, acknowledged its subpoena to reporters earlier Tuesday. “Of course I authorized the subpoena,” said the California Republican. “That’s how the rules work.” |
| The subpoena issued by the committee on Tuesday was the result of Bannon apparently invoking the doctrine of executive privilege, which is the implicit power of the executive branch to withhold information about internal deliberations. | The subpoena issued by the committee on Tuesday was the result of Bannon apparently invoking the doctrine of executive privilege, which is the implicit power of the executive branch to withhold information about internal deliberations. |
| Earlier on Tuesday, press secretary Sarah Sanders said “no one” had encouraged Bannon not to be transparent during questioning but there’s a “process of what that looks like”. | Earlier on Tuesday, press secretary Sarah Sanders said “no one” had encouraged Bannon not to be transparent during questioning but there’s a “process of what that looks like”. |
| “As with all congressional inquiries touching upon the White House,” she told reporters, “Congress must consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material. This is part of a judicially recognized process that goes back decades.” | “As with all congressional inquiries touching upon the White House,” she told reporters, “Congress must consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material. This is part of a judicially recognized process that goes back decades.” |
| However, the supreme court has made clear that giving the president “an absolute privilege” against a subpoena “on no more than a generalized claim of the public interest in confidentiality of nonmilitary and nondiplomatic discussions would upset the constitutional balance of ‘a workable government’”. | However, the supreme court has made clear that giving the president “an absolute privilege” against a subpoena “on no more than a generalized claim of the public interest in confidentiality of nonmilitary and nondiplomatic discussions would upset the constitutional balance of ‘a workable government’”. |
| The Republican Mike Conaway of Texas insisted to reporters that “this witness is not an executive” and felt confident that Bannon would eventually testify in full. “There were questions that we asked that were not answered and we are going to resolve the issues to get the answers.’’ | The Republican Mike Conaway of Texas insisted to reporters that “this witness is not an executive” and felt confident that Bannon would eventually testify in full. “There were questions that we asked that were not answered and we are going to resolve the issues to get the answers.’’ |
| Congressman Tom Rooney of Florida, speaking to reporters earlier on Tuesday, said that he “certainly think[s] the committee respects executive privilege. When does that attach, is the question that dominates the day.” Did it come into effect for a president, he asked, “during the transition or actual swearing in”? | Congressman Tom Rooney of Florida, speaking to reporters earlier on Tuesday, said that he “certainly think[s] the committee respects executive privilege. When does that attach, is the question that dominates the day.” Did it come into effect for a president, he asked, “during the transition or actual swearing in”? |
| The subpoena is reportedly the second that Bannon has received in recent days. The New York Times reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller issued a subpoena last week to compel Bannon to testify before a grand jury in his investigation. | The subpoena is reportedly the second that Bannon has received in recent days. The New York Times reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller issued a subpoena last week to compel Bannon to testify before a grand jury in his investigation. |
| A spokesperson for Bannon did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. | A spokesperson for Bannon did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. |
| Bannon has come under scrutiny after making incendiary comments about the Russia investigation in the bestselling book Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff. These comments were first reported by the Guardian. He described a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Trump’s son Don Jr, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his campaign manager Paul Manafort and a number of Russians as “treasonous”, “unpatriotic”, and “bad shit”. | Bannon has come under scrutiny after making incendiary comments about the Russia investigation in the bestselling book Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff. These comments were first reported by the Guardian. He described a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Trump’s son Don Jr, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his campaign manager Paul Manafort and a number of Russians as “treasonous”, “unpatriotic”, and “bad shit”. |
| The top Trump aides had taken the meeting under the expectation that the Russians had damaging information about Hillary Clinton, which they wished to share with the campaign. | The top Trump aides had taken the meeting under the expectation that the Russians had damaging information about Hillary Clinton, which they wished to share with the campaign. |
| In the Wolff book, Bannon said it was likely that the Russians had met with Trump Sr as well. “The chance that Don Jr did not walk these jumos up to his father’s office on the 26th floor is zero,” he said. | In the Wolff book, Bannon said it was likely that the Russians had met with Trump Sr as well. “The chance that Don Jr did not walk these jumos up to his father’s office on the 26th floor is zero,” he said. |
| Bannon’s willingness to abide by White House instructions comes after Trump denounced him as “Sloppy Steve” for the comments he made in Wolff’s book. Trump also issued a statement after the book’s publication bashing his former top strategist, suggesting that Bannon had “lost his mind”, and the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, even went so far as to say that Breitbart should “consider” removing him from his position as executive chairman. Within days, Bannon resigned from his post at the conservative website that he molded in his own image. | Bannon’s willingness to abide by White House instructions comes after Trump denounced him as “Sloppy Steve” for the comments he made in Wolff’s book. Trump also issued a statement after the book’s publication bashing his former top strategist, suggesting that Bannon had “lost his mind”, and the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, even went so far as to say that Breitbart should “consider” removing him from his position as executive chairman. Within days, Bannon resigned from his post at the conservative website that he molded in his own image. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | |
| Steve Bannon | Steve Bannon |
| US Congress | US Congress |
| US politics | US politics |
| Russia | Russia |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Trump administration | Trump administration |
| news | news |
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