Former Trump White House official Steve Bannon has been sentenced to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine for contempt of Congress.
Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress in July after he ignored a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee.
STEVE BANNON’S REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL AFTER CONVICTION REJECTED BY JUDGE
Former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon speaks with the media at the end of the opening day of his trial on contempt of Congress charges. On Friday, a federal judge denied his request for a new trial after he was convicted in July.
(Reuters/Michael A. McCoy)
Bannon was released pending appeal. If an appeal is not made, Bannon must surrender voluntarily by Nov. 15, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled.
The Justice Department had recommended a six-month prison sentence and a $200,000 fine for former Trump aide Steve Bannon due to his failure to comply with a subpoena to appear before the House Select Committee investigating January 6.
“I want to thank all you guys for coming,” Bannon said entering the courthouse Friday. “Remember this illegitimate regime, their judgment day is on eight November when the Biden administration ends. I want to thank you all for coming.”
STEVE BANNON FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS FOR IGNORING JAN. 6 HEARING SUBPOENA
Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., makes remarks during the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He quickly added, “And remember, take down the CCP. Thank you.”
Federal prosecutors pushed for Bannon to receive at least six months in prison, citing his “bad faith” behavior in and out of court.
“From the moment that the Defendant, Stephen K. Bannon, accepted service of a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, he has pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt,” federal prosecutors argued on Monday.
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Steve Bannon, former adviser to Donald Trump, waves to members of the media as he departs federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Photographer: Craig Hudson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Craig Hudson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
They continued, “The Committee sought documents and testimony from the Defendant relevant to a matter of national importance: the circumstances that led to a violent attack on the Capitol and disruption of the peaceful transfer of power. In response, the Defendant flouted the Committee’s authority and ignored the subpoena’s demands.”
Bannon claimed executive privilege precluded him from appearing before the committee to talk about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, though prosecutors noted that he left the White House in 2017.
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer, Marta Dhanis, Jake Gibson, and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
