Bannon subpoenaed last week by Mueller and today by House Intel Panel

Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump’s former chief strategist, was subpoenaed last week by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to testify before a grand jury as part of the investigation into possible links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia.

[...]

The move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Mr. Trump’s inner circle.

[...]

Mr. Mueller is likely to allow Mr. Bannon to forgo the grand jury appearance if he agrees to instead be questioned by investigators in the less formal setting of the special counsel’s offices about ties between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia and about the president’s conduct in office, according to the person, who would not be named discussing the case. But it was not clear why Mr. Mueller treated Mr. Bannon differently than the dozen administration officials who were interviewed in the final months of last year and were never served with a subpoena.

  NYT

You can bet your ass there was a good reason.

Prosecutors generally prefer to interview witnesses before a grand jury when they believe they have information that the witnesses do not know or when they think they might catch the witnesses in a lie.

[...]

It is much easier for a witness to stop the questioning or sidestep questions in an interview than during grand jury testimony, which is transcribed, and witnesses are required to answer every question.

“By forcing someone to testify through a subpoena, you are providing the witness with cover because they can say, ‘I had no choice — I had to go in and testify about everything I knew,’” said Solomon L. Wisenberg.

Trump must be sweating from every pore. Is there any chance "Sloppy Steve" is cooperating with Mueller on the sly?

Despicable Donnie will be stress eating cheeseburgers day and night waiting for the Mueller knock on his own door.

And, some crazy shit coming out of Bannon's House Intel testimony today...

Fallen former President Trump confidante Steve Bannon was served immediate subpoenas during his closed-door meeting with lawmakers Tuesday to provide testimony on information the White House instructed him not to share, according to sources with knowledge of the conversations.

In the now hours-long, ongoing interview conducted by investigators for the House Intelligence Committee, Bannon’s attorney told lawmakers that the White House directed his client not to answer questions about his time in the White House or during the transition.

Sources told Fox News Bannon did not invoke any sort of legal “privilege,” including executive privilege, to support this refusal.

  Fox

What's he playing at? Trying to get back in good graces? Trying to hide a secret cooperation with Mueller? And, WTF, the White House instructed him not to answer Congressional investigation questions??

Actually, I'm kind of surprised Nunes didn't let him get away with clamming up.

 ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.