Steve Bannon Ordered to Prison

Steve Bannon Ordered to Prison

Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in prison for contempt of Congress

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee. He was also fined $6,500.

The federal judge sided with Bannon in ruling that the ex-Trump aide would not have to serve the sentence until the appeal process plays out — but rejected Bannon’s request to receive only probation. Bannon’s team now has 14 days to file the appeal.

The sentence is less than what federal prosecutors sought. The Justice Department wanted Bannon to be sentenced to six months and fined $200,000 after being found guilty of two counts of contempt in July.
Friday’s sentencing is a milestone in the DOJ’s Jan. 6 response and a warning shot to the committee’s other reluctant witnesses. The sentence came shortly before the committee announced it officially sent a subpoena to former President Donald Trump for testimony and documents.

Steve Bannon, a former Donald Trump White House strategist, reported to a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, on Monday to begin a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena.

Bannon, the second former Trump aide to be imprisoned for a contempt of Congress conviction after Peter Navarro began serving a four-month sentence earlier this year, was taken into custody shortly after 12 p.m. ET.

He was driven into the federal prison in a black van after speaking at a podium outside the correctional facility, saying he was “proud” to go to prison.

“It’s time for me to surrender up in Danbury,” he said.

Both Bannon and Navarro were convicted for not complying with subpoenas issued to them by the now-defunct House Select Committee that investigated January 6, 2021. The Supreme Court on Friday denied a long-shot effort by Bannon to avoid reporting to prison while he challenges his conviction before the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.

Guilty on two counts: A federal jury found Bannon guilty in July of contempt for refusing to appear for the panel’s deposition and produce documents. The conviction was a victory for the House committee as it aimed to seek cooperation of reluctant witnesses in its historic investigation.

The sentence: Judge Carl Nichols – a Trump appointee – sentenced Bannon to four months on each count — running concurrently — along with a fine of $6,500. The sentence is less than what federal prosecutors sought. The Justice Department wanted Bannon to be sentenced to six months and be fined $200,000.

He won’t have to serve his sentence yet: After Bannon was sentenced, the federal judge said the ex-Trump aide wouldn’t have to serve his sentence until the appeal of his conviction plays out, which is what Bannon had requested. He did decline Bannon’s request that he receive only probation for the offense.

What both sides said in court: Federal prosecutors argued that Bannon should be dealt a $200,000 fine — above the $1,000-100,000 guideline and the statutory maximum for the two counts of contempt he is facing. They pointed to Bannon’s refusal to provide the probation office with details about his finances as the reason for the particularly harsh fine. Department of Justice attorney JP Cooney argued that it “amplifies” his contempt for the law. Prosecutors also said that citizens have put themselves in harm’s way all the time to comply with subpoenas, but Bannon “suffered no such threats” and “thumbed his nose at Congress.” Meanwhile, Bannon’s attorney David Schoen pushed back on the idea that a lack of remorse from Bannon should warrant a harsher punishment. He claimed Bannon was upholding American values and the institutions of government, including the White House. Schoen also argued that Bannon was not acting above the law, but was acting consistently with the law, because of his concerns about executive privilege.

What happens next: Bannon has 14 days to file his appeal, the judge said. If he doesn’t file that appeal, then Bannon will have to make arrangements to surrender voluntarily no later than Nov. 15. Bannon’s attorneys have already made clear they planned to appeal his conviction to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

How Bannon reacted: Bannon decided not to speak in court, but the former Trump adviser briefly addressed reporters outside after the hearing, saying voters would cast their own verdict on Democrats and the Justice Department in the midterm elections in November. “Today was my judgment day by the judge,” Bannon said. “On Nov. 8, there’s going to (be) judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime … and quite frankly, Nancy Pelosi and the entire (House Jan. 6) committee.”

Trump subpoena: Shortly after Bannon’s sentencing unfolded today, former President Donald Trump also faced a showdown with the panel. The Jan. 6 committee announced on Friday that the panel had officially subpoenaed Trump to try to compel him to sit for a deposition under oath and to provide documents.

.