Liberal Forum

Steve Bannon refused to answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee during a closed-door session, even after he was issued a subpoena to testify by the committee on Tuesday, saying that the White House had told him not to.

Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said during a news conference after the marathon hearing, that Bannon’s lawyer had told the committee that the former Breitbart executive “was willing to answer our questions but under instructions from the White House not to”.

He condemned what he called “a gag order from the White House”.

The former White House aide testified before the committee, but he refused to answer any questions about his time in the transition, in the Trump administration and even after he left the White House.

The hearing was left in recess and the subpoena remains in effect, which means that Bannon could be called back to testify under oath.

Schiff said: “This was the first time we saw a witness refuse to answer the questions under the instructions of the White House or claim that the White House might later invoke privilege.”

Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Bannon had received a grand jury subpoena last week from the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Moscow.

The intelligence committee’s chair, Devin Nunes, acknowledged its subpoena to reporters earlier Tuesday.

“Of course I authorized the subpoena,” said the California Republican.

“That’s how the rules work.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... uestioning