Steve Bannon will have to spend four months behind bars for his refusal to cooperate with Congress on the Capitol riots probe
Former Trump White House senior advisor Steve Bannon speaks to the media as he arrives at federal court to be sentenced on October 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. © Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
Steve Bannon, a former adviser to 45th US President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to four months in prison plus a $6,500 fine on contempt of Congress charges. The accusations stem from Bannon’s refusal to provide documents or testify before the House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill.
On Friday, US District Judge Carl Nichols handed down the punishment, with Bannon allowed to defer serving his sentence while he appeals the decision. His defense team said it intends to do so, for which it has two weeks.
Back in July, Bannon was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee.
Commenting on Friday’s verdict, Prosecutor J.P. Cooney said that Bannon chose to “thumb his nose at Congress.” He “is not above the law, and that’s what makes this case important,” the official added.
Trump’s former adviser conceded that “today was my judgment day by the judge,” adding, however, that “on November 8, they are going to have judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime, and quite frankly, [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and the entire committee,” – an apparent reference to the upcoming midterm elections. During the vote, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be up for grabs.
According to the January 6 congressional committee, Bannon had spoken with Trump at least twice on the day preceding the unrest. He is also believed to have said on his podcast that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow.”
A conservative firebrand, Bannon played a pivotal role in articulating Trump’s ‘America First’ ethos. The ex-adviser is known to be a fierce critic of the Biden administration.
