Steve Bannon Sentenced To Four Months In Prison For Contempt Of Congress

A federal judge sentenced former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to four months in prison for contempt of Congress charges he received for ignoring a subpoena to testify before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols ruled that Bannon’s actions went against public interest and that Bannon “did not express remorse and has attacked the select committee at every turn.”

The former Trump adviser had contended that he would only testify if Donald Trump waived his executive privilege, even though the Justice Department said that Trump had never invoked executive privilege over any information.

In July, Trump wrote a letter waiving his executive privilege and Bannon agreed to be interviewed by the committee. By that time, nearly a year had passed since the subpoena and the Justice Department responded by saying that Bannon’s last-minute cooperation was an indication that he thought he was “above the law,” and it should not negate the months of refusing to cooperate.

Nichols also ordered Bannon to pay $6,500 if the conviction stands following Bannon’s imminent appeal.

The sentence and fine by Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, was less than the amount expected. For the two contempt of Congress charges, Bannon could’ve landed in jail for up to two years. His lawyers argued that he should have a lesser sentence since he dodged the subpoena at the advice of his lawyer.

“The facts of this case show that Mr. Bannon’s conduct was based on his good-faith reliance on his lawyer’s advice,” Bannon’s legal team wrote.