
Steve Bannon claims he didn't "willfully" commit a crime in defying congressional subpoenas
CBSN
Washington – Steven Bannon, the former chief White House strategist for Donald Trump who has been charged with criminal contempt of Congress, issued a court filing Friday that argues he's not guilty because he was heeding the advice of his lawyers and did not know he was committing a crime.
The charges stem from his refusal to testify and provide documents to the House committee investigating the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. His lawyers advised him not to show up for his interview with congressional staff or turn over the requested material because former President Trump wanted to claim executive privilege. On January 6, 2021, Bannon was not employed by the White House — and hadn't been since 2017.
"Reliance on advice of counsel fundamentally negates guilt," defense attorneys wrote Friday, offering a potential preview of their arguments for Bannon's defense at trial, which is currently set for July.

Horse racing excitement is set to continue on Saturday night when the second part of the Triple Crown launches at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness Stakes, also known as the annual run for the Black-Eyed Susans, comes just two weeks after the season kicked off with the Kentucky Derby.

Increasingly, when lawyers take divisive political issues to court, they seek out federal jurisdictions where they hope to find judges sympathetic to their worldview. This phenomenon, known as venue shopping, has been employed by both sides of the political aisle, according to a new CBS News analysis of federal court data for cases seeking nationwide impact.