Bannon prosecutor has a trail of successes behind him as he approaches 'open-and-shut case': report

According to a report from Politico's Betsy Woodruff Swan, the U.S. Attorney tasked with putting Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon behind bars is a seasoned pro with a string of success behind him as both a federal prosecutor and working in the private sector with some major corporate clients.

U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves just took over the Washington D.C, office and one week later he has two indictments filed against Bannon for contempt of Congress that one of his supporters calls an "open-and-shut case."

According to the report, besides Bannon -- who is expected to surrender to authorities on Monday -- Graves will also oversee "ongoing investigations into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol."

While pointing out that Grave will be under intense scrutiny over his handling of such a high-profile case that could ultimately impact former president Donald Trump, the Politico report notes that his background serving as a federal prosecutor previously makes him ideal for the task ahead.

"Graves comes into the job with experience that's directly relevant to the Bannon case. He had a front-row seat when one congressional criminal referral to the Justice Department — against baseball pitcher Roger Clemens for making false statements — ended in a high-profile defeat. He later ran the team in the D.C. U.S. attorney's office that handled Congress's requests for prosecution," the report states.

With Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) stating, "I think it's pretty much an open-and-shut case." Woodruff Swan writes, "She said his background handling national security cases means he's well-prepared for the Jan. 6 investigation — the largest in the Justice Department's history."

Former U.S. Attorney Ron Machen, who served with Graves previously, also endorsed him, telling Politico, "He handled a number of complex, sensitive prosecutions for the office and he did an outstanding job every time."

Graves' former supervisor Matthew Solomon also praised his successful prosecution of then-Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) who received 30 months in prison for spending $750,000 in campaign cash for personal needs.

"It was a case that had to be done perfectly," Solomon recalled. "It couldn't be seen as being anything other than a by-the-book prosecution. And Matt did a great job with that case."

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