If Steve Bannon Is Convicted By Congress, How Much Time Could He Face In Prison?
The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury has indicted former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress on November 12 (via CBS News). The right-wing podcast host and ally of Donald Trump failed to comply "with a subpoena from the House Select Committee, investigating the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol," per the outlet.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee, told CNN, "The grand jury was presented with overwhelming and irrefutable evidence of Steve Bannon's violation of a congressional subpoena. The justice system of the United States is not going to tolerate these contemptuous violations of the rule of law." According to the BBC, the subpoena documents quote Bannon saying on his podcast on January 5 that "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow." The former White House advisor is tied to a group of Trump supporters who had a "command center" at the Willard Hotel before the January 6 insurrection, as reported by The Washington Post.
Trump pardoned Bannon before he left office, but there's no pardon for him if he's convicted of these charges. Bannon will face real prison time if he is convicted of contempt of Congress.
Steve Bannon could serve two years in prison if he is convicted
On November 12, the Department of Justice indicted Steve Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a subpoena. According to the DOJ press release, Bannon received one contempt count for refusing to appear for deposition from the House Select Committee. Bannon was handed the second count for "his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol." If convicted of the charges, Bannon could receive a sentence of two years in prison, one year for each contempt count, as well as fines, per NPR.
A Department of Justice source told NPR that "Bannon would surrender on Monday," November 15, and appear in court that afternoon. In the DOJ statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, "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." Garland continued, "Today's charges reflect the department's steadfast commitment to these principles." Stay tuned; we'll keep you posted on this story as it develops.