IT HAS BEEN COOKING LIKE
WILDFIRE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
STEVE BANNON WAS SCHEDULED TO
BE SENTENCED TODAY.
HE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO SPEAK
INSIDE THAT COURTROOM THAT YOU
SEE THERE.
HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOW
SENTENCED STEVE BANNON ON TWO
COUNTS OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT OF
CONGRESS AND WHAT THEY ARE
SAYING IS FOUR MONTHS.
WE HAVE LEO TERRELL, A CIVIL
RIGHTS ATTORNEY, STANDING BY ON
THE PHONE TO TALK WITH ME RIGHT
NOW.
WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, LEO.
I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY
SURPRISE THAT STEVE BANNON
ACTUALLY WOULD NOT WANT TO
SPEAK ON THIS.
HE PRETTY MUCH HAS NOT SAID
MUCH ON THIS.
LET’S GO TO OUR REPORTER GRIFF
JENKINS.
>> YEAH, JUST BREAKING FOUR
MONTHS.
NOW, THE PROSECUTION WAS ASKING
FOR SIX MONTHS JAIL TIME AND
$200,000 FINE.
NOW A MUCH SMALLER FINE OF
$6500 IT APPEARS FROM OUR COURT
REPORTER INSIDE AS WELL AS FOUR
MONTHS JAIL TIME.
NOW, HARRIS, YOU HAVE TO STEP
BACK A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE
LAST TIME WE SAW ANYONE CHARGED
WITH CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS WAS
RITA LAVELLE IN 1983, AN AB
SECURE EPA AGENCY OFFICIAL FROM
THE REAGAN YEARS.
THAT’S WHY BANNON’S DEFENSE WAS
ARGUING THEY SHOULD GIVE HIM
SOME PROBATION BECAUSE IT IS
REQUIRE THAT WE SEE
PROSECUTIONS FOR CONTEMPT OF
CONGRESS.
BUT IT WAS THIS PROSECUTION’S
BELIEF THAT MR. BANNON WAS
ACTING IN THIS BAD FAITH
STRATEGY OF CONTEMPT IN
DEFIANCE.
WE ALSO SAW THAT MR. BANNON ON
THE WAY INTO COURT HERE, I
BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE THE SOUND
BITE CONTINUED TO ATTACK THIS
PROSECUTION IN THIS CASE.
TAKE A LISTEN IF WE HAVE THAT
SOUND BITE OF MR. BANNON GOING
INTO COURT BEFORE 9:00 A.M. WE
MAY NOT HAVE THE SOUND ACTUALLY.
HE CONTINUED TO SAY THAT IT IS
A QUOTE ILLEGITIMATE PROCESS.
NOW, WHAT WAS FASCINATING,
HARRIS AND WHAT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT IS THAT THE JUDGE IS
GOING TO RELEASE MR. BANNON
RIGHT NOW AND IF HE COMES TO
OUR CAMERAS AROUND THE
COURTHOUSE WE’LL HEAR WHAT HE
HAS TO SAY.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS
>> Harris: WE WERE ABLE TO SEE
THAT BUT COULDN’T HEAR IT.
I THINK WE’RE HAVING SOME
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HERE
WITH AUDIO IN GENERAL.
GRIFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE’LL PULL AWAY NOW AND LEO
TERRELL STANDING BY ON THE
PHONE.
LEO, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY.
BREAK THIS DOWN FOR US.
WE MAY HEAR FROM STEVE BANNON
AND WE’LL TAKE IT LIVE IF AND
WHEN IT HAPPENS.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE COURTROOM?
NORMALLY WE DON’T SEE AJUDD
INDICATION OF THIS SORT OF
THING.
>> THAT’S FOR HAVING ME. YOU
HAVE AN ISSUE OF DEFYING A
SUBPOENA AND THE MOTIVATION
BEHIND IT.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS
SUBPOENA WAS ISSUED TO STEVE
BANNON BY THE JANUARY 6th
COMMITTEE AND YOU HAVE TO
QUESTION THE MOTIVATION BEHIND
IT.
AND THE IDEA OF HIM BEING FOUND
GUILTY ON THIS SUBPOENA OR
FAILURE TO COMPLY, CONTEMPT OF
A JUDICIARY SUBPOENA IS
SOMETHING THAT WILL BE APPEALED.
HE WILL APPEAL IT.
REMEMBER, HE HAD AN ARGUMENT OF
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE AND ON THE
ADVICE OF HIS COUNSEL NOT TO
TESTIFY AND NOT TO PUT UP A
DEFENSE.
THIS CASE IS FAR FROM OVER.
THE FOUR-MONTH SENTENCE, HE
COULD HAVE GOTTEN 1 TO 12
MONTHS.
I THINK THE JUDGE GAVE HIM FOUR
MONTHS FOR THE BASIS TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT HE
WAS REMORSEFUL.
>> Harris: WE’VE SEEN PROCESS
CRIMES, WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF
TIME SPENT ON WHAT I WOULD CALL
THE CONSTELLATION AROUND THE
FORMER PRESIDENT.
>> YES.
>> Harris: SPEAK TO ME ABOUT
THAT AND WHAT POTENTIALLY IS
COMING.
>> I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW
REMEMBER THE LAST THING THE
JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE DID WAS
REQUEST A SUBPOENA TO BE ISSUED
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HARRIS, YOU CAN’T SEPARATE THE
IDEA OF THE JANUARY 6 COMMITTEE
USING THE LEGAL PROCESS AS A
WEAPON AGAINST TRUMP SUPPORTERS
AND TRUMP.
THIS JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE, THE
JOURNAL WAS A SHOW TRIAL FOR
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY I’VE BEEN
A LAWYER FOR 30 YEARS AND SEE
HOW THE LEGAL SYSTEM IS BEING
USED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE YOU
HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF A
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION.
WAS THIS SUBPOENA FOR STEVE
BANNON SOMETHING LEGALLY
MOTIVATED OR POLITICALLY
MOTIVATED?
I WOULD SUBMIT IT WAS THE
LATTER.
>> Harris: I FEEL LIKE WE COME
BACK TO THAT POINT QUITE OFTEN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR
THE BREAKING NEWS AND, OF
COURSE, AGAIN IF STEVE BANNON
COMES OUT AND SPEAKS AS HE DID
ON THE WAY INTO THE COURTROOM