Steve Bannon was found guilty after trial for contempt of congressional charges

Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, was found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing a Jan.6 committee summons request.

He risks at least 30 days in prison. He can also be fined up to $ 100,000. The sentence is scheduled for 21 October.

Bannon did not say he would speak to the committee until this month. But prosecutors said it was too late for a trial because it had already missed the key deadlines for making statements in court.

Bannon, a Hollywood film producer in the 1990s who has since engaged in politics through documentaries and on Brietbart.com, said he intended to appeal.

“I have only one disappointment and I am the indifferent members of this testing committee. [January 6th] The committee did not have the power to testify in a public hearing, ”Bannon told reporters outside the Washington federal court.

On Thursday, the committee played Bannon’s Oct.31, 2020 audio of Trump’s plans to “simply declare victory.” “But that doesn’t mean he’s a winner. He will only say that he is a winner. “Audio It was first released by Mother Jones.

In its quotes, the committee echoed Bannon’s comments on the eve of the siege of the Capitol when he said in his podcast: “Tomorrow all hell will break loose.”

The committee tried to show how the attack on the Capitol was premeditated and not a random event.

Bannon opposed the subpoenas last year on the grounds that Trump had obtained executive privilege. But the committee and prosecutors noted that Bannon left the White House in 2017 and has been a private citizen ever since.

In its latest ruling recommending accusations of outrage, the committee on Jan.6 said that Bannon “appears to have had multiple roles in connection with this investigation, including his role in creating and participating in the” Stop Theft “public relations effort which led to the attack. ” His efforts to plan political and other activities before January 6 and his participation in the day’s events from the ‘war room’ organized at the Willard InterContinental Hotel Washington DC. Since then, the committee has revealed in a hearing that Bannon has spoken twice with Trump on January 5th.

Outside the courthouse, Bannon, dressed in his signature button-down shirt attire, said “we respect the jury’s decision.” “We may have lost the battle here today, but we won’t lose this war,” he said.

His lawyer, David Shawn, said prosecutors have put forward a concluding argument “which completely violates the constitutional principle of the separation of powers.” He said that “when a former president or president in office invokes executive privilege, it is presumably valid. Congress doesn’t have to decide it’s invalid.

Bannon’s trial lasted only a few days, and Bannon’s team did not call any witnesses in his case. Jurors began deliberating Friday morning before reaching the verdict around 2 p.m. ET.

“The Stephen Bannon quote was not an invitation to reject or ignore,” said Matthew Graves, United States attorney for the District of Columbia. “Aton. Bannon was to appear before the House Select Committee to testify and present documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate and now a jury has ruled that he must pay the consequences. “

On January 6, the committee released a statement stating, “Steve Bannon’s conviction is a victory for the rule of law and an important claim to the work of the select committee. As the prosecutor said, Steve Bannon “chose loyalty to Donald Trump over law enforcement.” Just as whoever is responsible for the events of January 6 must be held accountable, whoever stands in the way of our investigation of these issues faces consequences. Nobody is above the law ”.