Ex-Trump Adviser Steve Bannon Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Contempt of Congress - Report

A federal judge has sentenced Steve Bannon, a far-right ideologue and adviser to former US President Donald Trump, to serve prison time and pay a fine for contempt of Congress. However, the sentence is on hold, as Bannon appeals the verdict.

US District Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon on Friday to four months in prison and to pay a $6,500 fine for failing to comply with two subpoenas for his testimony issued by the US House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. The US Department of Justice has sought six months in prison for Bannon - the harshest sentence allowed under the law.

However, Judge Nichols agreed to stay Bannon's serving of that sentence as his appeal of the conviction plays out in court. Bannon had previously said he was prepared to go to jail for supporting "Trump and the Constitution."

"We certainly fully respect the judge's decision but we will be filing a notice of appeal," Bannon’s lawyer, David Schoen, told reporters shortly after the sentence. He added at that the stay of Bannon's sentence was an "extraordinary move."

The House committee was formed to investigate the origins of the insurrection staged by Trump supporters at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Immediately after a "Stop the Steal" rally hosted by Trump outside the White House, at which Trump claimed his loss in the November 2020 presidential election had been due to fraud, thousands of his supporters stormed through police barricades and into the US Capitol Building. While they temporarily dispersed Congress and halted certification of the election results, they failed at their goal of voiding that certification and of capturing US lawmakers. However, five people died in the assault.

Bannon, a close Trump supporter who served as his chief strategist early in his presidency, helped build support for the January 6 rally.

“It’s not going to happen like you think it’s going to happen,” Bannon told listeners of his radio show on January 5, the day before the riot. “It’s going to be extraordinarily different. And all I can say is: Strap in.”

Numerous other Trump affiliates have also been subpoenaed for testimony or documents, with several also being held in contempt of Congress for shirking the summons. Trump is also engaged in a lengthy legal battle over files held by the US National Archives that the January 6 committee wants to review, but Trump has argued are protected by Executive Privilege.