Appeals Court Upholds Steve Bannon's Contempt Conviction
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has upheld the conviction of Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, for contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay a $6,500 fine.
The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel, which included judges appointed by Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama, rejected Bannon's defense that he had relied on his attorney's advice in not complying with the subpoena. The court ruled that such a defense was not valid and would undermine the authority of Congress to conduct investigations.
Bannon, who had predicted unrest the day before the Capitol riot on a podcast, was found guilty of both failing to appear for a deposition and refusing to turn over documents to the committee. His legal team has the option to appeal to the full appeals court panel or petition the U.S. Supreme Court. Bannon's sentence was initially stayed pending the outcome of the appeal, but with this ruling, he faces the possibility of serving jail time unless further appeals are successful.
