Apparently, Bannon’s attorney was passing along the questions to the White House as they were being asked by the House Intelligence Committee, and then getting immediate feedback as to whether Bannon should or shouldn’t answer them.
Update: I have a difficult time believing that the House Intelligence Committee, even the GOP members of it are going to be okay with information during a closed-door session being relayed to the Executive Branch like this. I’m pretty sure that Phone-a-Friend lifelines aren’t allowed to witnesses being questioned. If anyone has any solid information on this, I’d love to hear it.
Update X2: Talking Points Memo has a little bit of additional information on this breaking story.
Steve Bannon’s attorney relayed questions, in real time, to the White House during a House Intelligence Committee interview of the former Trump chief strategist, people familiar with the closed-door session told The Associated Press.
As lawmakers probed Bannon’s time working for President Donald Trump, Bannon’s attorney Bill Burck was asking the White House counsel’s office by phone during the Tuesday session whether his client could answer the questions. He was told by that office not to discuss his work on the transition or in the White House.
It’s unclear who Burck was communicating with in the White House or whether it was top White House lawyer Don McGahn, who Burck is also representing in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The conversations were confirmed by a White House official and a second person familiar with Bannon’s interview. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
And then there’s this:
A White House official said the White House counsel’s office had a conversation last week with committee counsel about Bannon’s testimony and was told the questions were expected to be about the campaign. The official said the White House offered to send an attorney to attend the interview and was told the move wasn’t necessary.
But when the lawmaker’s questions moved to Bannon’s time in the White House, Burck, his attorney who also represents White House counsel Don McGahn, got on the phone with the counsel’s office. The official wouldn’t say who Burck spoke with in the counsel’s office or whether it was his client, McGahn.
Update x3: Keith Olbermann had an interesting view on this: