Rep. Adam Schiff Says White House Imposed ‘Gag Order’ on Bannon

After the House Intelligence Committee concluded a hearing with Steve Bannon in which the former chief strategist was set to be questioned about Russian election tampering, Congressman Adam Schiff claimed a “gag order” by the Trump administration was put in place to keep the ex-official quiet.

Schiff, who is a ranking Democrat on the committee, said Bannon would not answer questions regarding his tenure in the Trump administration or during the transition — which obviously left little to be discussed in the hearing.

In an appearance on MSNBC, Schiff told Chris Hayes the following:

“He was brought before the committee on a voluntary basis, but he quickly informed through his counsel that he was not going to answer questions that pertained to meetings, conversations, events, et cetera, that took place during the transition or while he was part of the administration, and what’s more, that would be extended to even after he left the White House concerning conversations that he may have had with the president.”

As Schiff went on to note, this silence was at the White House’s request as they “effectively [put] in place a gag rule” to keep Bannon from talking “about what happened while [he was] part of the transition or in the White House.”

Bannon’s counsel conferred with the White House after the committee issued a subpoena, Schiff said, “and was instructed by the White House to refuse again to answer any questions concerning the time during the transition and his time in the administration.”

“The scope of this assertion of privilege––if that’s what it is––is breathtaking,” Schiff said in comments earlier tonight. “It goes well beyond anything we have seen in this investigation… This was effectively a gag order by the White House.”

The White House in a statement earlier in the day said it is “fully cooperative” with the ongoing investigation without addressing directly whether it had instructed Bannon not to answer certain questions.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders deflected from Bannon’s “gag order” by saying, “As with all congressional inquiries touching upon the White House, Congress must consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material.”

Bannon’s mandated silence only serves to lengthen the Russia probe, despite Trump and the White House often saying they wish to get through this investigation as quickly as possible — all while maintaining they did nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.

Additionally, Schiff suggested this Bannon “gag” is unprecedented for the Russia investigation. “This is the broadest effort to effectively gag a witness we have seen in the past,” said the California lawmaker.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

[image via screengrab]

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