Bannon’s only answer to Russia probe: ‘No’
WASHINGTON • Republican lawmakers on Thursday weighed whether to hold former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress after he declined to answer questions for a second time as part of the House intelligence committee’s Russia probe.
Bannon visited Capitol Hill to take questions from the panel, but would only answer 25 questions that had been pre-approved by the White House. His answer to each question was “no” and he told the committee he was not authorized to elaborate.
Bannon was already under subpoena as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been critical of the White House’s sweeping interpretation of executive privilege and its contention that pretty much everything is off limits until the president says it’s not.
The escalating fight between Congress and the White House over the privilege issue has centred on Bannon, an outsized figure in President Donald Trump’s campaign. He was fired from the White House last summer, and more recently had a falling out with Trump after the publication of a book in which he criticized Trump family members.
Despite his fractured relationship with Trump, Bannon has followed White House direction as the panel has sought to talk to him in its probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether Trump’s campaign was involved. Because he was one of Trump’s top advisers, lawmakers were expected to question him about key events during his time in the White House, including Trump’s firings of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI director James Comey.
Texas Rep. Mike Conaway, the Republican leading the panel’s Russia probe, wouldn’t say whether Republicans would hold Bannon in contempt.
He said he’d discuss the issue with House lawyers and with House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is likely to have the final say in whether the House votes on contempt.