Steve Bannon was convicted in July of “obstructing” the investigation into the Capitol assault.
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The verdict is in. Steve Bannon, who was an influential adviser to Donald Trump at the White House, was sentenced on Friday, October 21, to four months in prison for refusing to cooperate with the parliamentary investigation into the assault on the Capitol. This 68-year-old man, a figure of right-wing populism in the United States, immediately announced his intention to appeal, which suspends the application of the sentence.
He was therefore able to emerge free from the court. In front of the cameras, he assured “respect the judge’s decision” but immediately slipped into political territory. “November 8 will be the day of judgment for the illegitimate regime of (Joe) Biden (…) and we know how it will end”he launched in reference to the midterm elections, in which the Democrats could lose their control of Congress.
Quoting several members of the January 6 Commission of Inquiry, tasked with shedding light on Donald Trump’s role in the coup by his supporters, Steve Bannon predicted that they “would be beaten”. Refusing to respond to the subpoenas of this commission, he was found guilty, in July, of obstructing the investigative powers of Congress.
>> Assault on the Capitol: five things to remember from the first conclusions of the commission of inquiry, which points to the responsibility of Donald Trump
The prosecutors then requested six months of detention, pinning his “contempt” and his “bad faith” throughout the procedure. His lawyers had asked for a sentence of parole or house arrest. Judge Carl Nichols ultimately opted for four months in jail, plus a $6,500 fine. “Respecting Congress is an important part of our constitutional system”he justified, pointing out that Steve Bannon had not, to date, always produced “no document, nor delivered any testimony” to the commission.