Steve Bannon's attorney relayed information to the White House during his House intel interview

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Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

• Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon's lawyer informed the White House, in real time, what questions lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee were asking his client.
• The White House replied and told Bannon's lawyer which questions he should and shouldn't respond to.
• Bannon was told to avoid answering questions about his work on the Trump transition team or in the White House.

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.

That's according to people familiar with the closed-door session who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

During the day-long interview Tuesday, Bannon's attorney Bill Burck was asking the White House counsel's office by phone 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 communicated with or whether it was top White House lawyer Don McGahn. Burck is also representing McGahn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Bannon was subpoenaed to appear before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday after he refused to answer questions about his work on the transition team or in the White House.

He was also issued a subpoena last week by Mueller's team to testify before a grand jury in the Russia investigation. CNN reported Wednesday that Bannon had stuck a deal with the special counsel to submit to an informal interview in place of testifying.