In their never-ending search for scoops, clicks and insider information, a coalition of some leading news organizations has decided to join with deranged Trumpist commando and derelict impersonator Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon in his devious quest to have all of the prosecution's documents in his case released to the public. Bannon, a key ringleader in the January 6 insurrection, is seeking to disrupt his prosecution for contempt of Congress by having sensitive material -- like grand jury proceedings, witness testimony and the like -- aired in public, which would potentially undermine his prosecution and intimidate future witnesses from testifying. That, and not freedom of the press, is what this is about.
The judge in the case, Trump-appointed Judge Carl Nichols, had given the prosecution's documentary evidence a "protective order" to prevent compromising the proceedings, but the media coalition is questioning the order as "overbroad." The linked article gives up the game as far as both Bannon and the media's objectives:
"According to the coalition’s brief, a blanket protective order would prohibit Bannon and his attorney from communicating with the news media about their case, a violation of the First Amendment." (our emphasis)
In other words, the coalition of media patriots that Bannon plans to manipulate want to give him a powerful megaphone to spread his lies about the treasonous insurrection and his (and others') role in it, justice be damned. As the prosecution argued in its brief, Bannon's public statements, “make clear that defense’s real purpose [is] to abuse criminal discovery to try this case in the media rather than in court.” And on that score, the coalition of media patriots is with him.
(photo: Sedition ring leader Bannon. Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
