A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Steve Bannon's bid to toss his prosecution on criminal contempt of Congress charges, greenlighting the July jury trial to proceed against the onetime Trump advisor over his defiance of the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
During a three-hour court hearing, Judge Carl Nichols refused to dismiss the charges against Bannon, who challenged the validity of the House committee as part of his last-ditch bid to escape criminal prosecution. Bannon centered his argument on the structure of the nine-member House committee, noting that the resolution forming the panel called for it to include a total of 13 lawmakers.
But Nichols turned away that legal challenge, saying: "It is not a basis by which the court can or will dismiss the indictment."
This is a developing story.
