Ex-Trump Bannon Aide Jailed for Contempt of Congress

By Staff, Agencies

Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress.

Bannon, 68, was convicted in July on two counts - for refusing to provide either testimony or documents to a committee probing the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

In addition to the jail time, Bannon, who has denied any criminal wrongdoing, must also now pay a fine of $6,500.

Judge Carl Nichols said that Bannon would be released for the time being, while any appeal to the sentence is resolved.

"Today was my judgement day by the judge," Bannon told reporters immediately following the sentencing. "We will have a vigorous appeal."

Referring to the upcoming midterm elections, he added: "On 8 November we are going to have judgement on the illegitimate Biden regime." Bannon has repeatedly made similar statements in the past and falsely claimed that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

Hours after Bannon was sentenced, Trump was formally issued his own legal summons from the 6 January panel, ordering him to testify before lawmakers about the Capitol riot.

Like Bannon, Trump could face criminal charges if he does not comply with the summons.

Bannon was a key player in Trump's successful 2016 election campaign and later took the role of chief strategist at the White House. He left that position following a violent far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Even after his departure, the combative podcaster was considered a top ally of Trump.

The relationship between the two men, however, has occasionally been complicated. Following the 2018 publication of the book "Fire and Fury" by journalist Michael Wolff - which attributed a number of controversial statements to Bannon - Trump disavowed him, saying that he "cried when he got fired and begged for his job" and referred to him as "Sloppy Steve."

In the wake of the 6 January 2021 riot, Bannon did not comply with a summons - known as a subpoena - seeking testimony and records about efforts by Trump and his political allies to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, as well as about the events that led up to the storming of Congress.