Trump ally Steve Bannon to be sentenced for contempt of Congress

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, appeared on Friday at US federal court in the nation's capital to be sentenced following his conviction on two contempt of Congress charges.

Bannon faces up to two years in jail, though prosecutors recommended to the judge overseeing the case on Monday that Trump's former chief strategist receive a six month jail term.

"From the moment that the Defendant, Stephen K. Bannon, accepted service of a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (“the Committee”), he has pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt," the Justice Department said in a court filing.

"The Committee sought documents and testimony from the Defendant relevant to a matter of national importance: the circumstances that led to a violent attack on the Capitol and disruption of the peaceful transfer of power. In response, the Defendant flouted the Committee’s authority and ignored the subpoena’s demands," it added.

Bannon, 68, was found guilty in July on two counts of contempt of Congress related to his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House of Representatives committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the US Congress.

He faced one count for failing to appear for a deposition, and another for refusing to hand over requested documents. The jury deliberated for under three hours before reaching its verdict.

The committee sought to interview Bannon about meetings he participated in at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021, the night before Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent President Joe Biden from assuming office.

The Willard, which is blocks from the White House, was allegedly the scene of Trump's "War Room" where the former president's loyalists worked around the clock to come up with strategies to overturn the November 2020 election, which Trump lost by more than 7 million votes.

Bannon now faces a minimum of 30 days in prison per count. The maximum sentence he can receive is one year per count. There is also a fine of between $100 to $100,000.