Lawyers for Stephen K. Bannon said they will not call any witnesses in his defense, arguing that prosecutors had failed to show their client was guilty of contempt of Congress for his alleged refusal to provide testimony or documents to the Jan. 6 committee.
After the government called just two witnesses to make its case against Bannon, his defense team told U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols Thursday morning that they do not plan to present a case to the panel.
“You are not intending to put on any evidence to the jury?” Nichols asked. “Correct, your honor,” said Bannon lawyer David Schoen.
There is still a debate over the judge’s denial of a defense attempt to call as a witness the House committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.). Bannon attorney M. Evan Corcoran argued that the prosecution’s case boiled down to one witness, the panel’s chief counsel. He said Kristin Amerling testified that she did not see Thompson sign the subpoena to Bannon and for that reason, he said, the government has not proved that the subpoena was valid.
Bannon’s lawyer said Amerling also did not say whether Thompson wrote any part of the letters sent from the committee to Bannon’s lawyers that the prosecution said established that Bannon did not meet the committee’s deadlines.
Bannon’s defense has argued that the judge either should allow Bannon to call Thompson as a witness, which Nichols has rejected, or grant his motion for a judgment of acquittal, a frequently made but rarely granted motion that defendants file once the government rests its case, arguing that prosecutors have not met their burden of proof.
After the government called just two witnesses to make its case against Bannon, his defense team told U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols Thursday morning that they do not plan to present a case to the panel.
“You are not intending to put on any evidence to the jury?” Nichols asked. “Correct, your honor,” said Bannon lawyer David Schoen.
There is still a debate over the judge’s denial of a defense attempt to call as a witness the House committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.). Bannon attorney M. Evan Corcoran argued that the prosecution’s case boiled down to one witness, the panel’s chief counsel. He said Kristin Amerling testified that she did not see Thompson sign the subpoena to Bannon and for that reason, he said, the government has not proved that the subpoena was valid.
Bannon’s lawyer said Amerling also did not say whether Thompson wrote any part of the letters sent from the committee to Bannon’s lawyers that the prosecution said established that Bannon did not meet the committee’s deadlines.
Bannon’s defense has argued that the judge either should allow Bannon to call Thompson as a witness, which Nichols has rejected, or grant his motion for a judgment of acquittal, a frequently made but rarely granted motion that defendants file once the government rests its case, arguing that prosecutors have not met their burden of proof.