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Stephen Bannon’s lawyers will not call any witnesses or introduce any new evidence in his criminal contempt trial after prosecutors spent less than two days laying out their case against the former White House strategist.
David Schoen, one of the attorneys representing Bannon, told a federal judge Thursday morning they will not mount a defense in the trial over whether Bannon willfully defied a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The move means the jury in the case, which was impaneled on Tuesday, will not hear testimony from Bannon himself. The defense team had previously floated possibly having him take the stand.
US District Judge Carl Nichols asked Bannon’s legal team their plan for Thursday since the prosecution rested its case Wednesday after two witnesses.
“You’re not intending to put on any evidence to the jury?” Nichols asked.
“Correct, your honor,” Schoen said.
