In a blow to Trump, Nichols later dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the federal district court in DC was the wrong venue for a case against New York officials.
At the same time, the House could request the records at any moment and New York could turn them over without notifying Trump, depriving the sitting president of a chance to challenge the move. The case put Nichols in a "very awkward position," the judge said in court at the time, since House Democrats had not even asked New York for Trump's state tax returns. Just a month into his tenure on the federal bench, as House Democrats aggressively investigated Trump and his administration, Nichols drew a politically-charged case that presented - in his words - a "conundrum." It was July 2019, and then-President Trump had sued preemptively to prevent New York from turning over his financial records to House Democrats. Nichols' record could be concerning for Bannon, a former top White House advisor and Trump 2016 campaign official who was charged last week with criminal contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over documents or testify as part of the House investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
CRIMINAL CASE PACIFIC BAY CASE 31 ARREST KILLER TRIAL
The judge will weigh legal issues and set the pace for the closely-watched and politically-charged prosecution.Īt first glance, Steve Bannon appeared to hit the judge-drawing lottery when his criminal prosecution was randomly assigned to a Donald Trump appointee.īut in the two years since Judge Carl Nichols' confirmation to the federal trial court in Washington, DC, he has ruled repeatedly against Trump and his allies - and often found himself in high-profile cases like the closely-watched prosecution against Bannon that has landed in his lap. Nichols has ruled repeatedly against Trump and his allies since his confirmation to the federal bench in 2019. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesĪ Trump appointee, Judge Carl Nichols, was randomly assigned to preside over the prosecution of Steve Bannon.
Steve Bannon appeared in federal court Monday after being charged with criminal contempt of Congress.