Mueller subpoenas Bannon for Russia probe

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury as part of the main probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, the New York Times reported yesterday.

The newspaper said it marked the first time special counsel Robert Mueller had used such a move against a member of US president Donald Trump’s inner circle.

A spokesman for the special counsel declined to comment.

Mr Bannon, who recently had a public falling out with Mr Trump over comments he made to the author of controversial book Fire and Fury, was meeting with the US House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee as part of its own Russia investigation yesterday.

He was invited by the committee in a letter last month.

According to a source cited by the New York Times, the subpoena could be a negotiating tactic.

In fact, Mr Mueller is likely to allow Mr Bannon to forego the grand jury appearance if he agrees to be questioned by investigators in the less formal setting of the special counsel’s offices.

Investigators are likely to question Mr Bannon on ties between the president’s associates and Russia as well as his often controversial conduct in office.

This comes just weeks after Mr Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort sued Mr Mueller, alleging that his office’s wide-ranging investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has exceeded its legal authority and needed to be reined in.

Mr Trump tore into Mr Bannon – calling him “Sloppy Steve” – after excerpts from Fire and Fury in which he labels the president’s son Donald Trump Jr “treasonous” were published.

The comments were related to Mr Trump Jr attending a 2016 meeting with Russian nationals.

Mr Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing in the Russia inquiry.