dagblog - Comments for "Bannon Is Subpoenaed in Mueller’s Russia Investigation"

Axios has that he screwed up

artappraiser — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 01:41:14 +0000

In reply to Refused to talk at the House

Axios. com has that he screwed up at the House investigation anyway:

Inside the room: What Steve Bannon told Congress yesterday

By Jonathan Swan, 5 hrs. ago

Steve Bannon made one conspicuous slip up in his closed-door hearing on Tuesday with the House Intelligence Committee, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the confidential proceedings. Bannon admitted that he'd had conversations with Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer and legal spokesman Mark Corallo about Don Junior's infamous meeting with the Russians in Trump Tower in June 2016.

Why it matters: The meeting — and the subsequent drafting of a misleading statement on Air Force One — has become one of the most important focal points of the Russia investigations, both on Capitol Hill and within Robert Mueller's team, because it provides the closest thing that exists to evidence that the Trump campaign was willing to entertain collusion with Russians.

Bannon immediately realized he'd slipped up and disclosed conversations he wasn't supposed to discuss, because they happened while he was chief strategist in the White House. Throughout the rest of the session, committee members — in particular Republican Trey Gowdy and Democrat Adam Schiff — hammered Bannon over the fact that he'd mentioned those conversations but refused to discuss anything else about his time in the White House.
Bannon's lawyer, Bill Burck, told the committee in his opening remarks that Bannon wouldn't answer any questions that relate to his time inside the White House or during the presidential transition. The committee caught him in the slip-up inside the first 90 minutes

Other inside-the-room moments I can reveal: [....]

(lots more @ the link.)

At this point in the witch

Peter — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 00:38:58 +0000

In reply to These sources give a

At this point in the witch-hunt anyone being questioned needs to be very careful with their answers. The questions will be loaded and any answer that doesn't meet expectations will be suspect and could lead to lying charges. With a good idea of what the questions will be Bannon can fasion honest answers that don't feed the Inquisitor's hungry beasts. It's obvious that Mueller has no evidence and certainly no proof of collusion between Trump and Putin so all he can do is try to inflict pain and embarrassment on the people around him.

These sources give a

artappraiser — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:08:19 +0000

In reply to Whooops, Mueller subpoenas

These sources give a different narrative than you'd expect, but then they are just more "sources". We''ll see:

AP Sources: WH directed Bannon silence in House interview

A.P., Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Chad Day, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed, two hours ago

WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon's attorney relayed questions, in real time, to the White House during a House Intelligence Committee interview of the former Trump chief strategist, people familiar with the closed-door session told The Associated Press.

As lawmakers probed Bannon's time working for President Donald Trump, Bannon's attorney Bill Burck was asking the White House counsel's office by phone during the Tuesday session whether his client could answer the questions. He was told by that office not to discuss his work on the transition or in the White House.

It's unclear who Burck was communicating with in the White House. He is also representing top White House lawyer Don McGahn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia [....]

Kinda know the story & others

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:39:25 +0000

In reply to Axios says Daily Beast says

Kinda know the story & others from before, but now I have Tom Hanks' smarmy face associated with it - thanks!

Axios says Daily Beast says

artappraiser — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:42:55 +0000

In reply to Whooops, Mueller subpoenas

Axios says Daily Beast says source says he'll talk @ Mueller. So there's that

I kinda feel like throwing in the "We'll See" Zen Master story from "Charlie Wilson's War"....great movie, just rewatched the other night...

Whooops, Mueller subpoenas

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 03:56:50 +0000

In reply to Nunes is trying to get all

Whooops, Mueller subpoenas Bannon. My guess is that this is to head Congress off at the pass, to keep them out of the important incriminating details and that he's already talked to Bannon, but that's just me based on The Twitter. Shame,though, as there was interesting debate on "Executive Privilege" brewing.

Nunes is trying to get all

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 03:41:20 +0000

In reply to Refused to talk at the House

Nunes is trying to get all the FBI testimony to the White House so they can weasel around it. I hope the next round of indictments and plea-bargains come soon. I'd guess Bannon's already been speaking to Mueller, but if not, let's go...

Refused to talk at the House

artappraiser — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 23:02:46 +0000

In reply to Bannon Is Subpoenaed in Mueller’s Russia Investigation

Refused to talk at the House hearing today, apparently on legal advice, so they subpoena'd him too:

Bannon refused to answer House panel's questions about time in White House

By Kyle Cheney @ Politico.com, Updated 01/16/2018 05:43 PM EST

President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon refused to answer questions Tuesday from the House intelligence committee about his time in the White House, prompting panel members to subpoena him on the spot, according to a person familiar with the interview.

Bannon appeared before the committee as part of its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, speaking just weeks after a falling-out with Trump over comments he made in an explosive new book.

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) confirmed Tuesday that he issued a subpoena for Bannon.

“Of course I authorized the subpoena," he told reporters. "That’s how the rules work.”

According to the person familiar with the interview, Bannon's attorney told the committee he wouldn't discuss anything about his time in the White House or during the transition after the 2016 election. During that period, Trump allegedly sought a pledge of loyalty from then-FBI Director James Comey and later fired him [....]