Thread by @JFHaughey58

Dave 'Santa' Riddell of Lebanon, Ohio, says the 1776 Restoration Movement seeks to “restore the constitutional republic and restore morality to America because you cannot have a constitutional republic unless you are a moral country.”#BannonTrial

The genesis of the #1776RestorationMovement was the trucker-led #PeoplesConvoy earlier this year, Riddell said, noting there are people from all over the country participating in ad hoc demonstrations through July 23-26 in coordination with the US Liberty Alliance. #BannonTrial

Jury selection in the #BannonTrial has adjourned for lunch. There are apparently five jurors on board. It could be a long afternoon, evening perhaps.

Actually, jury selection only now has adjourned for lunch with Nichols ordering all back by 2 p.m. Eight jurors have been qualified. Nichols wants to qualify 22 before the panel is trimmed to 12 with alternates. #BannonTrial

Questions being asked jurors include what they've "heard, seen, read" about the House Jan. 6 committee, whether they've watched any of the hearings, and what they've "heard, seen, read" about #Bannon and the specifics of this case. #BannonTrial

The media, public (other than 35 or so wedged into one section and clerks occupying jury box) were allowed in sometime before noon so there will be more comprehensive accounts (but not live) of who said what to who during the jury selection. #BannonTrial

Juror #122, qualified because he said he knew nothing about the case or #Bannon, was brought back for a "follow-up" question by Bannon attorney Evan Corcoran regarding if he had "heard anything from a potential juror if Mr. Bannon was guilty?" He said no. He's in. #BannonTrial

Juror 331, an tax attorney who is also a licensed lawyer in England, was dismissed because he said in his view, "anybody requested or required to testify in court or before the (House Jan. 6) committee should do so." #BannonTrial

Corcoran asked Nichols to exclude Juror 331 because of his "specific knowledge" about the legal process and professional bias. Nichols agree. There was no objection from prosecutors. #BannonTrial

But Nichols qualified Juror 1041 -- a law school graduate but not a practicing attorney -- over defense's objections to her stated impression that the case is "based on executive privilege and her knowledge from case law" in legal procedure. #BannonTrial

Nichols said he didn't think Juror 1041's knowledge and believed her claim that she had no preconceived ideas about the case. She's in the 22-person pool. #BannonTrial

Before adjourning, Juror 475 became the eighth to qualify. A former paralegal, Corcoran asked her if she'd be open-minded about "considering evidence that Mr. Bannon did not have to appear on the subpoena date?" She said yes. #BannonTrial

Prosecutor Amanda Vaughn mildly objected, telling Nichols that Corcoran's last question "seemed to suggest a defense to the witness." Nichols retained her in the qualified pool. #BannonTrial

Returning to the 6th floor courtroom where jury selection will soon begin. No electronics allowed inside and, of course, as #SussmanTrial survivors will recall, security here boots everyone out at 5:01 p.m. So, we'll post updates as best we can. #BannonTrial

Jury selection paused until 2:40 pm. Nine of 11 candidate jurors were qualified in a 75-minute span after lunch, bringing the number to 17. Nichols wants 22 jurors qualified before the number is whittled to 12 with alternates. #BannonTrial

Among those qualified: A jobs training program crew leader, wallpaper salesman, Parks & Rec worker, driver for special needs children, D.C. government ombudsman, senior program associate, museum social media associate, NASA photographer, art salesman, and physician. #BannonTrial

Among those on jury: jobs training program crew leader, Parks & Rec worker, driver for special needs children, senior program associate with the International Republican Institute, NASA photographer, an appliance company employee, a contractor for Test Yourself D.C. #BannonTrial

Nichols is swearing in jury and will give them instructions, which is interesting since much of the later afternoon cement-chewing will center on what can and cannot be discussed in reference to the letters debated this morning. That matter is not resolved. #BannonTrial

With the jury sworn in, Nichols has called for the government to make its opening statement. So, here we go. #BannonTrial

Prosecutor Amanda Vaughn in less than 10-minute opening statement: “So, this whole case is about a guy who refused to show up. Yes, it’s that simple.” #BannonTrial

At 3:12, Corcoran concludes defense's opening statement. The gist: "The government can’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Steve Bannon committed a crime" when he failed to show for an Oct. 14, 2021 deposition. #BannonTrial

Quite the blur: Proceedings have gone from maybe being delayed a month, pushed back to Friday, paused for a day, to let 'er rip with opening statements done and first witness taking the stand shortly. #BannonTrial

There was no cement-chewing on the finer points of evidence. Bannon's attorneys allowing entirety of letters dismissing his executive privilege arguments as evidence. This provides a venue, maybe, for him to raise that defense in this proceeding. #BannonTrial

Regardless how it all shakes out -- maybe by Wednesday? -- the whole spiel is basically preparation for an appeal should the jury find him guilty of "being a guy who failed to shop up." #BannonTrial

Hold everything: Defense attorney David Schoen has raised "legal issues that need to be taken up" before the first witness is called. He said the Jan. 6 Select Committee Chief Counsel Kristen Amerling is "not competent to testify" in the case. #BannonTrial

Schoen wants House Jan. 6 Committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) to be called, not Amerling, because she was not the one who made any of the decisions in what the committee did and did not do. #BannonTrial

Amerling is testifying now. But there was a 25-minute back-and-forth between the parties and Nichols about how the introduction of the Oct. 8 letter and Oct. 19 contempt referral "opened the door" to Bannon calling Thompson as a witness. #BannonTrial

Proceedings in #BannonTrial have concluded for the day with Amerling back on stand Wednesday morning still testifying before prosecutor Amanda Vaughn. Much of the discussion was civics 101. What is a committee? What is a subpoena? The bones are there. The meat comes tomorrow.

Amerling will lay out the exchanges between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannon's attorney, Robert Costello, beginning with the Sept. 23 subpoena. Dry stuff, but the excitement could come under cross-examination. #BannonTrial

Defense attorney David Schoen said when prosecutors were allowed to enter an Oct. 8 letter to Bannon informing him he was in non-compliance in its entirety, the sections dismissing his executive privilege claims could be fair game. #BannonTrial

"His justification for not complying was legitimate. He was not a guy who just decided he was above the law," Schoen said. #BannonTrial

Vaughn: "Contempt is acting as if you are not subject to the law." The letter shows the committee rejected Bannon's privilege claims he "still refused to comply. (Defense wants) to offer these letters to say executive privilege really did excuse his compliance." #BannonTrial

Bannon "could not argue it in front of the court (during pretrial deliberations), but now they want to argue in front of the jury. It is not a question for the jury." #BannonTrial

Nichols said the question is, does the letter "go to the question of whether Mr. Bannon thought the date would be extended and whether (it was) because of the assertion of privilege. And the back and forth about whether he thought it was a firm date." #BannonTrial

Therefore, Nichols said, "if the witnesses' testimony … opens to those issues, that makes this relevant, I’m open" to privilege arguments. "When she’s (Amerling) done, we can take up to what extent these letters can be” heard in that regard. #BannonTrial

Under cross-examination of Amerling, who Schoen said was "not competent" to answer political questions the defense says are the root of the case, it could lead to others being called -- and the slam-dunk simple #BannonTrial taking on a new dimension. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

Meanwhile, the media is being booted out, Out, OUT of the E. Perryman Bartlett Courthouse, which is apparently empty except for reporters covering the #BannonTrial. Be back tomorrow. I hear there's an All-Star Game tonight ...