A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Trump, to report to prison on July 1.
Judge Carl Nichols’ decision revoked Mr. Bannon’s bail after he lost an appeal in May against a contempt of Congress conviction. He was sentenced to four months in prison for ignoring a congressional subpoena to testify about the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Bannon has not yet commented on Nichols’ sentence.
Bannon maintained that he was acting on the advice of his legal team and had no intention of breaking the law. Judge Bradley Garcia He wrote that the defense of acting on “advice of counsel” is “no defense at all.”
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A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Trump, to report to prison on July 1. (Associated Press)
Bannon was due to receive his initial sentence in October 2022. The sentence also included a $6,500 fine. Department of Justice prosecutors in the case had sought six months in prison and a $200,000 fine.
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“The one thing I’ll say is I respect the judge. The sentence handed down today is the judge’s decision. I’ve had complete respect for this entire process on the legal side,” Bannon said after the verdict.
Bannon will be sentenced for the first time in October 2022. The sentence also included a $6,500 fine. (Curtis Means Pool/Getty Images)
Bannon’s lawyers argue that when he received the subpoena, his then-lawyer, Robert Costello, advised his client that he was not legally permitted to respond to the notice in any way, stating that executive privilege had been invoked and that he did not have the authority to waive it. Committee Sean said his intention was to tell them that if the committee resolved a privilege issue with former President Trump, or if a court ordered them to comply, Bannon would comply.
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Bannon was convicted of refusing to testify before Congress about the January 6th riot. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
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“In America, we do not criminally prosecute, let alone convict and send to prison, people who not only do not believe their actions are illegal or against the law, but who have been advised by their lawyers that the law does not allow them to respond to a congressional subpoena when executive privilege is invoked, as in this case,” Mr. Bannon’s current lawyer, David Schoen, said last month.
This is a developing story, check back soon for updates.
