Judge denies Steve Bannon's request for delay to criminal contempt trial

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The federal judge presiding over Steve Bannon's criminal contempt trial denied the defense's request to delay the trial for one month.

Tuesday morning, the former White House aide'ss attorney Evan Corcoran asked Judge Carl Nichols for a one-month continuance following an argument between the parties over admitting into evidence letters between Bannon and the House Jan. 6 committee.

"The motion to continue is denied," Nichols stated following a short recess after the motion was formally made.

Corcoran said there was a "seismic shift" in the parties' understanding surrounding the judge's past rulings.

STEVE BANNON WILLING TO TESTIFY BEFORE JAN. 6 COMMITTEE AFTER TRUMP WAIVES EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon leaves federal court in Washington, Monday, July 18, 2022. Bannon is about to go to trial for criminal contempt of Congress charges after refusing to cooperate with the House Jan. 6 committee.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Judge Nichols ultimately said that the letters could be admitted, although there were discussions about whether to redact portions of them to limit the scope of what jurors could see.

The judge then called for a two-hour break, saying that at 1 p.m. the parties will reconvene on the record to finalize a decision on admitting the letters. Nichols also said he may agree to delay the trial by one day.  

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Bannon’s trial comes months after he was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the committees requests.

The one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump had cited executive privilege in refusing to cooperate. Earlier this month, Trump declared he was waiving executive privilege regarding Bannon, clearing the way for him to testify before the committee.

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The jury pool, which is at 22 potential jurors, is still waiting for the completion of the selection process before the trial begins with opening statements.