Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, was found guilty of refusing to testify before and turn over papers to the House committee looking into the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
After less than three hours of deliberation, a federal court jury in Washington found Bannon guilty on Friday afternoon of two counts of contempt of Congress that the Justice Department brought against him after he refused to appear before a House panel last year.
In light of Trump’s efforts to reverse his loss in the 2020 election, the committee requested his testimony regarding his contacts with the president.
Neither Judge Carl Nichols, who oversaw the trial, nor Steve Bannon’s counsel urged them to rise when the jury foreperson read the two verdicts.
Nichols set the sentencing date for October 21. Bannon, who was released from custody pending trial and is still free at this time while awaiting punishment, could spend a total of two years behind bars for the two misdemeanour offences.
The former Trump assistant and his attorneys said they intend to appeal outside the courthouse after the verdicts were announced.
Friday shortly before noon, the jury began deliberations as prosecutors concluded their case with a clear-cut claim that also happened to link Bannon closely to Trump.
That argument was included in what Gaston described to the jury as a “simple” case involving Steve Bannon’s refusal to cooperate with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee, which had unsuccessfully sought his testimony and papers the year prior.
In an effort to get an acquittal or a deadlocked jury for their client, Bannon’s defence made several egregious, frequently strained claims. In an effort to persuade the jury that Committee Chair Bennie Thompson’s (D-Miss.) signature on the subpoena to Bannon might have been falsified, defence attorney Evan Corcoran even exhibited several letters.
The committee also recently became aware of an audio recording of Steve Bannon made days before Election Day, which hinted that Trump would declare victory on Election Night even if he lost and use it as part of a plan to cast doubt on the validity of the vote. This information was provided to the committee by Mother Jones.
