U.S. Justice Division seeks six-month jail sentence for ex-Trump adviser Steve BannonYesterday

The U.S. Justice Division on Monday requested a federal decide to condemn former President Donald Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon to 6 months behind bars, saying he pursued a “unhealthy religion technique of defiance and contempt” towards the congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.

Mr. Bannon, 68, an influential far-right political determine, was convicted in July on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena.

Every rely is punishable by between 30 days to 1 12 months in jail and a superb ranging between US$100 to $100,000.

He is because of be sentenced earlier than U.S. District Choose Carl Nichols on Friday morning.

Prosecutors instructed Justice Nichols of their sentencing suggestion on Monday that Mr. Bannon’s actions, together with his refusal to today to provide “a single doc” to the congressional committee, led them to suggest a jail sentence on the high of the U.S. tips vary.

In addition they urged the decide to impose the utmost superb of $200,000, which they stated they primarily based on Mr. Bannon’s “insistence on paying the utmost superb quite than co-operate with the Probation Workplace’s routine presentencing monetary investigation.”

“All through the pendency of this case, the defendant has exploited his notoriety – by courthouse press conferences and his Conflict Room podcast – to show to the general public the supply of his bad-faith refusal to adjust to the committee’s subpoena: a complete disregard for presidency processes and the legislation,” prosecutors wrote of their submitting.

“The defendant’s statements show that his contempt was not aimed toward defending govt privilege or the Structure, quite it was aimed toward undermining the committee’s efforts to analyze a historic assault on authorities.”

Mr. Bannon’s attorneys filed a sentencing memo on Monday saying their consumer ought to be sentenced to probation solely. If the decide insists on incarceration, then Bannon ought to be permitted to serve his sentence at dwelling, and never in jail, they stated.

Of their memo, they argued that Mr. Bannon was convicted on statutes ruled by “outdated” case legislation, and that he relied on his legal professional’s authorized recommendation by not showing earlier than the committee.

“The information of this case present that Mr. Bannon’s conduct was primarily based on his good-faith reliance on his lawyer’s recommendation,” they wrote.

Through the trial, Justice Nichols restricted the scope of Mr. Bannon’s defence.

He was barred from arguing that he believed his communications with Mr. Trump have been topic to a authorized doctrine known as govt privilege that may preserve sure presidential communications confidential. He was additionally prohibited from arguing he relied upon an legal professional’s authorized recommendation in refusing to conform.

Mr. Bannon was a key adviser to the Republican Trump’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign, then served as his chief White Home strategist throughout 2017 earlier than a falling-out between them that was later patched up.

Whereas he was awaiting sentencing for his contempt of Congress conviction, he was individually indicted by a New York state grand jury on cash laundering and conspiracy fees for allegedly deceiving donors to an effort to assist Mr. Trump construct a wall alongside the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mr. Bannon, who pleaded not responsible, may withstand 15 years in jail if convicted on these fees.

The state fees are just like federal fees filed towards Mr. Bannon and several other others in August, 2020.

Mr. Bannon was by no means convicted within the federal case, after Mr. Trump pardoned him in the course of the remaining hours of his presidency.