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.
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.