While the DOJ investigated Steve Bannon for refusing to testify before the House Jan. 6 Committee, his team says federal prosecutors quietly got his lawyer’s email and phone records—a rare move that may have crossed the line.
In the letter to Bannon’s legal team, federal prosecutor Amanda R. Vaughn let them know that the Justice Department also considers another lawyer who was giving Bannon advice, Adam Katz, a witness.
FBI agents tried to get incoming and outgoing phone call logs and records showing who Costello texted, according to Bannon’s side., Bannon is indeed using his case as a fishing expedition into the Biden White House and the Justice Department—a tactic that’s aimed at poisoning the investigation while simultaneously generating additional media attention.
His lawyers asked for any documents that “reference making an example of Mr. Bannon, punishing him, hoping to influence or affect the conduct of other potential witnesses before the Select Committee, or words of similar meaning and effect.” Bannon is being represented by two attorneys in his criminal contempt case: former federal prosecutor M. Evan Corcoran and David I. Schoen, who represented Trump during his second impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.