WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, ex-White House strategist and adviser to former President Donald Trump, was sentenced Friday to four months in federal prison and a $6,500 fine for refusing to appear before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon to four months each on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, but the prison terms will be served concurrently.
A jury found Bannon guilty of the two counts in July — one for refusing to appear for a deposition before the panel and the other for refusing to produce requested documents. Each count carries a minimum potential sentence of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison, as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000.
Federal prosecutors sought six months behind bars, while Bannon’s attorneys asked the court for probation.
The judge released Bannon pending an appeal from his attorneys, and, in a response to the prosecution’s accusations during the hearing that he considered himself above the law, told reporters after the sentencing that “this thing about I’m above the law is a total lie.”
This is a developing story. It will be updated.