Steve Bannon 'summoned' in Russia probe

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was subpoenaed last week to testify before a grand jury in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, The New York Times reported.

The former aide to United States President Donald Trump is to give evidence in the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the report said.

Bannon, who joined the Trump campaign in August of 2016 and left the White House almost exactly a year later, it is the first time special counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed someone from within the US leader's inner circle.

The revelation came as Bannon was appearing behind closed doors with the House Intelligence Committee to testify in that committee's probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The latest development comes after Bannon recently fell out with the U.S. President after he described Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump as "dumb as a brick" in an upcoming book, 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House'.

The Bannon's observation about Ivanka was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which as reviewed Michael Wolff's new book.