Steve Bannon sentenced to four months in prison, fined $6,500

Steve Bannon, who spent 7 months as former President Trump’s chief strategist, has been sentenced to four months in prison after being found guilty of two criminal counts of contempt of congress. Bannon was also hit with a $6,500 fine.

Federal prosecutors requested that the judge hand down a “severe” penalty of six months in prison along with a fine of $200,000. In court papers earlier this week, the prosecutors said Bannon pursued “a bad faith strategy of defiance and contempt.”

As U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols delivered the verdict, Bannon sat quietly and listened and didn’t react.

Bannon has appealed his conviction and Judge Nichols has allowed Bannon to remain free pending the results of his appeal. Judge Nichols said that Bannon didn’t represent a flight risk nor a danger to the community.

“Today was my judgement day by the judge,” Bannon told the media straight after his sentencing. “We will have a vigorous appeal.”

Bannon also addressed November’s midterms by saying “On 8 November we are going to have judgement on the illegitimate Biden regime.”

Prosecutor JP Cooney stated on Friday that Bannon “hid behind a fabricated claim of executive privilege to thumb his nose at Congress.”

“It must be made clear to the public ….that no-one is above the law,” Cooney said.

Ahead of Bannon’s sentencing, prosecutors alleged that this refusal to comply “exacerbated the assault on the Capitol” and that Bannon “continues to unlawfully withhold documents and testimony that stand to help the committee’s authorised investigation to get to the bottom of what led to January 6.”

Bannon’s legal team called the case politically motivated and that Bannon was attemping to negotiate the subpoenas as he believed they were flexible, and that he was not ignoring them.

Judge Nichols did partially agree to this stating that Bannon was following legal advice and “did not completely ignore the subpoena or fail to engage with the committee at all.”

One of Bannon’s attorney’s David Schoen said that his client was aciting “on principle.” He also accused prosecutors of being “in zeal” to make Bannon “their trophy.”

“Quite frankly, Mr Bannon should make no apology,” Schoen said. “There is nothing here to deter. There is nothing here to punish.”

President Biden chose not to comment and said, “I never have a reaction to Steve Bannon.”