Predictably, the DC judicial conveyor belt that takes Republicans and conservatives straight to prison for “crimes” that aren’t even charged against Democrats operated with its usual speed in delivering a guilty verdict in the “contempt of Congress” charges against former President Trump’s campaign and White House advisor Steve Bannon.
Bannon was referred to the Department of Justice by the phony J6 committee for refusing to violate what he understood to be Trump’s claim of executive privilege regarding the events of January 6, 2021.
When the former President released him to testify, he informed the Committee he was ready to be interviewed and turnover documents, rendering the charges against him moot. However, in an act that can only be described as a spiteful political vendetta the trial not only proceeded, but Bannon was barred from raising the executive privilege defense by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols.
Even the normally Left-leaning Politico reported that “the significant restraints the judge put on the defenses Bannon could offer at trial raise issues that could find traction at an appeals court or even the Supreme Court.”
Former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz raised similar concerns during an interview Greta Van Susteren, host of the Newsmax show “The Record” arguing that the advisor to former President Donald Trump did not get a fair trial and that his conviction was likely to be overturned on appeal.
According to the transcript of the program in RepublicBrief.com, Ms. Van Susteren asked Prof. Dershowitz, “What do you think of this verdict, and what do you think of what’s likely to happen to him?”
“Entirely predictable and entirely in violation of the Constitution. The only provision of the Constitution which appears basically twice is trial by jury, in front of a fair jury. Number one he didn’t have a fair jury. Number two the judge took his defenses away from him. The judge denied him a jury trial. They wouldn’t allow him to put on evidence that he believed there was an executive privilege involved and he wanted a judicial determination before he violated the executive privilege. That issue could not be presented to the jury,” Dershowitz responded.
“As I predicted on this show and other shows before this conviction was a foregone conclusion. The only issue is will it be reversed by an appeal. Either by the appellate court in the District of Columbia or by the Supreme Court. I think it’s very likely that this conviction will be reversed at some point,” he said.
Prof. Dershowitz’s measured legal analysis was in stark contrast to Steve Bannon’s fiery interview with Tucker Carlson the evening after his conviction was announced.
As he introduced the segment, Carlson noted that on the same day Bannon was convicted, New York authorities released a man who was arrested a day earlier for assaulting and attempting to assassinate GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin as Zeldin was campaigning for governor.
“A guy who tried to murder a gubernatorial candidate in New York was released with no bail. What are we to make of these two events occurring the same day?” he asked Bannon, according to the RepublicBrief.com transcript.
“As you can tell, the Democrats are completely lawless and look how they’ve run this committee,” Bannon said, before he said, “There is no ranking member. There’s no minority counsel. It’s not like the traditional hearings that have galvanized the nation in the past.”
Bannon called for a committee to investigate the investigating committee.
“We need a commission or committee on Jan. 6,” Bannon continued. “It’s got to be with the new Congress, with the Republicans in charge. We’ve got to get to the bottom of the intelligence failures, FBI involvement, DHS involvement, the intelligence services.”
“We’ve got to get to the bottom of it,” he added.
“I would tell the January 6 [Committee] staff right now: Preserve your documents because there’s going to be a real committee. And this is going to be backed by Republican grassroots voters and MAGA to say we want to get to the bottom of this for the good of the nation,” Bannon continued.
“They’re coming at us on every aspect. Look, they’re trying to shut you down,” he told Carlson. “[P]eople have to understand, right now, this is an ideological war, and we cannot lose. The fate of the country is [at stake] over the next couple of years.”
If contempt of Congress is a crime it is one to which millions of patriotic Americans would happily plead guilty, because Congress, under Nancy Pelosi, has made itself contemptable in their eyes. Steve Bannon is right, we are in an ideological war, and we are proud to join him in that fight.
Steve Bannon testimony
Executive immunity
Constitutional immunity
January 6 Committee
Liz Cheney
Justin Clark FBI interview
Bennie Thompson
President Donald Trump
Contempt of Congress conviction