Steve Bannon Indicted On Two Counts of Contempt of Congress
WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime advisor to former President Donald Trump, has been indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena issued by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol.
Bannon was indicted on one count of refusing to appear for a deposition and a second count for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena, the Justice Department said in a press release Friday afternoon.
“Since my first day in office, I have promised Justice Department employees that together we would show the American people by word and deed that the department adheres to the rule of law, follows the facts and the law and pursues equal justice under the law,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“Today’s charges reflect the department’s steadfast commitment to these principles,” he added.
Bannon, 67, faces a sentence of 30 days to up to a year in jail on each count, as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000.
A federal district judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the Justice Department said.
He is scheduled to surrender Monday to authorities and make his first court appearance later that afternoon.
In its subpoena, the Select Committee investigating the riot by insurrectionist Trump supporters said it had reason to believe Bannon had information relevant to understanding the events that transpired before, on and after Jan. 6.
“Steve Bannon’s indictment should send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can ignore the Select Committee or try to stonewall our investigation: no one is above the law,” said Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in a statement. “We will not hesitate to use the tools at our disposal to get the information we need.”
Bannon, formerly a chief strategist and counselor to the President, has been a private citizen since departing the White House in 2017 and currently hosts a popular right-wing podcast, “The War Room.”
The indictment against him was handed down just hours after former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows failed to show up for a scheduled deposition with the committee.
Dan can be reached at dan@thewellnews and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue
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This story has been updated to include the joint statement from Select Committee Chair Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney.
