Larry Williams Drive

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Thursday that the criminal contempt trial of Steve Bannon can start as scheduled next week and that the extensive media coverage of the onetime adviser to former President Donald Trump should not be a barrier to selecting an unbiased jury to hear the case.U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had earlier in the week rejected a bid by Bannon's lawyers to delay his trial, which is scheduled to start Monday with jury selection. He made a similar ruling Thursday, turning aside concerns from Bannon's lawyers about a CNN report set to air on the eve of trial and what they said were prejudicial comments made during a hearing this week hosted by the House committee investigating the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021."I am cognizant of current concerns about publicity and bias and whether we can seat a jury that is going to be appropriate and fair, but as I said before, I believe the appropriate course is to go through the voir dire process," Nichols said, referring to the questioni