Steve Bannon refuses to answer questions in Russia inquiry

Steve Bannon, former strategy chief of President Donald Trump, has been questioned several times this week as part of the investigation into possible Russian intervention in the 2016 elections.

Bannon who led Trump’s presidential campaign before becoming his chief of staff met Robert Mueller, leader of the US Department of Justice special counsel investigation, over two days this week.

The investigators believe that Bannon could hold information on the Trump administration and perhaps reveal alleged collusion with Russia during the elections. It’s believed he could also shed some light over the firing of FBI director James Comey.

Bannon answered every question put to him by former FBI director Mueller and his team across nearly 20 hours of probing, according to the Associated Press.

On Thursday Bannon appeared in front of the House Intelligence Committee as part of their own investigation on Trump’s relationship with Russia during the elections.

Bannon answered 25 questions with a simple “no” and refused to answer any more enquiries, claiming executive privilege and protection for White House communications.

Because of this behaviour many Democrats and some Republicans are asking for Bannon to be held in contempt.

"There was a refusal to answer any questions that would have brought out the full facts. That is not how privilege works. That's how stonewalling works," the panel's Democratic leader Adam Schiff said.

"The breadth of that claim of executive privilege is breathtaking and insupportable and, indeed, at times, it was laughable," Schiff said.

Bannon’s behaviour has caused frustration among the committee members for the second time, since he already voluntarily met with them in January and again refused to answer any of their questions for ten hours.

In December Bannon reportedly bragged about not hiring a lawyer and being unworried of his legal exposure in the different Russia inquiries, although after the release of ‘Fire and Fury’ book that contained some of his explosive comments, he has hired former federal prosecutor William Burck as his lawyer.

Burck is also representing the White House counsel Don McGahn and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.