Donald Trump’s former aide Steve Bannon was sentenced Friday to 4 months in jail for refusing to testify within the congressional probe of the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol.
One of many masterminds behind Trump’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign and victory, Bannon was discovered responsible on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to testify over the riot by the previous president’s supporters.
Bannon, who was additionally fined $6,500, was permitted by the choose to stay free whereas he fights what his lawyer vowed could be a “bulletproof” attraction.
The longtime Trump strategist struck a defiant tone upon leaving the federal courtroom in Washington — lashing out at President Joe Biden and the Democratic leaders of the Home of Representatives.
“At this time was my judgment day by the choose,” Bannon advised reporters outdoors. “On November eighth there’s going to have judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime,” he vowed — in reference to the upcoming midterm elections.
“And we all know which approach that’s going,” he mentioned. “The Biden administration ends on the night of the eighth of November.”
Requested by reporters on the White Home for a response to the Bannon sentencing, Biden answered dismissively: “I by no means have a response to Steve Bannon.”
‘Undeniably severe’
The 68-year-old Bannon was greeted on arrival on the courthouse early Friday by protesters yelling “Traitor” Fascist!”
His jail sentence was lower than the six months requested by the Justice Division, however greater than the probation Bannon’s attorneys had sought.
Bannon had argued that he declined to seem earlier than the Capitol riot probe panel upon recommendation from his lawyer that doing so would violate Trump’s govt privilege.
However he additionally mentioned he felt that the investigation was politically pushed.
Federal Decide Carl Nichols rejected these arguments, saying Trump had by no means asserted govt privilege in Bannon’s case and that the occasions on the Capitol wanted investigating.
“The occasions of January sixth had been undeniably severe,” Nichols mentioned earlier than saying the sentence. “The January 6 committee thus has each motive to analyze what occurred that day.”
He added that Bannon had didn’t cooperate with the committee on points not touched by attainable claims of govt privilege.
Bannon has “not produced a single doc… and has not offered any testimony on any subject,” he mentioned.
‘Assaulted the rule of regulation’
Regardless of the jail sentence, Bannon, who at the moment runs a streaming political commentary web site, might stay out of jail nicely into subsequent 12 months whereas combating his attraction.
The investigation by a particular Home committee has depicted Bannon as figuring out prematurely of the plan by hardline Trump supporters to assault the Capitol to forestall Biden from being confirmed as the following president.
It additionally confirmed him advocating for Congress to dam Biden — who defeated Trump within the November 2020 election — from turning into head of state.
“The rioters who overran the Capitol on January 6 didn’t simply assault a constructing — they assaulted the rule of regulation upon which this nation was constructed and thru which it endures,” the Justice Division advised the courtroom in its sentencing memo.
“By flouting the Choose Committee’s subpoena and its authority, the defendant exacerbated that assault.”
Bannon served within the White Home as chief strategist for the primary seven months of Trump’s time period, leaving reportedly as a consequence of conflicts with different prime staffers.
In 2020, Bannon was charged with wire fraud and cash laundering for taking for private use tens of millions of {dollars} contributed by donors in the direction of the development of a border wall with Mexico.
Whereas others had been discovered responsible within the scheme, Trump issued a blanket pardon for Bannon earlier than leaving workplace in January 2021, resulting in the dismissal of the fees in opposition to him.