Steve Bannon, a close associate of former President Donald Trump and a prominent figure on the American right, was found guilty of contempt of Congress on Friday for ignoring a subpoena from the committee investigating last year’s attack on the United States Capitol, a major victory for the Democratic-led panel.
A jury convicted Bannon, 68, guilty of two misdemeanor charges for refusing to deliver testimony or records to a House of Representatives select committee investigating a Jan. 6, 2021, rampage by Trump supporters attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Each count of disobeying Congress can get you 30 days to a year in jail and a fine of $100 to $100,000.
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After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury of eight men and four women returned a guilty verdict, marking the first successful prosecution for contempt of Congress since 1974, when a judge found G. Gordon Liddy, a conspirator in the Watergate scandal that forced President Richard Nixon’s resignation, guilty.
Bannon was a major adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign before becoming his chief White House strategist in 2017, after which the two had a falling out that was subsequently patched up. Bannon has also been influential in right-wing media.
In closing arguments on Friday, his defense team claimed to jurors that Bannon was a political target, and the chief prosecution witness was depicted as a politically motivated Democrat with ties to one of the prosecutors. The prosecution maintained that Bannon disdained congressional authority and should be held accountable for his illegal defiance.
Prosecutor Molly Gaston told jurors the attack represented a “dark day” for America, adding, “There is nothing political about finding out why Jan. 6 happened and making sure it never happens again.”
