Steve Bannon: US seeks six-month prison sentence for former Trump advisor

Bannon was convicted on contempt charges for defying subpoena in January 6 investigation

The Justice Department also argued that Steve Bannon should pay a $200,000 fine for seeking to delay proceedings. AFP
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The US Justice Department on Monday asked a federal judge to sentence former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon to six months in prison for his refusal to give evidence before the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.

Bannon was convicted on contempt charges in July for defying a congressional subpoena.

The Justice Department also argued that Bannon should pay a $200,000 fine for seeking to delay proceedings by suggesting he may co-operate with the probe.

The department said Bannon “has pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt”.

“To this day, he continues to unlawfully withhold documents and testimony that stand to help the committee’s authorised investigation to get to the bottom of what led to January 6 and ascertain what steps must be taken to ensure that it never happens again,” the government said in a court filing.

“That cannot be tolerated.”

Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The National.

The US House committee investigating the deadly 2021 assault on the Capitol showed Bannon was apparently aware in advance of Trump supporters' efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election.

“All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. Just understand this: all hell is going to break loose tomorrow,” Bannon said on his podcast the day before the January 6 insurrection.

Bannon is scheduled to be sentenced before US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington on Friday.

Bloomberg contributed to this report

Updated: October 18, 2022, 4:37 AM