A federal judge today set a July 18 date for Steve Bannon’s trial for contempt of Congress, Politico reports.
Playbook: “What this means for the Jan. 6 committee: This is a significant step backward. Allies of former President Donald Trump have shown — once again — that they can effectively use the courts to evade accountability and slow down investigations.”
“What this means for Democrats: They had hoped the panel would wrap up its work this spring, leaving the party plenty of time before the midterms to pivot its focus to kitchen-table issues that resonate with voters. This new trial date could make that difficult. Now, the party has a choice not unlike what it faced in the first and second Trump impeachments: do they fight for evidence to the bitter end, or do they wind down their probe without talking to these critical people?”

