Stephen K. Bannon Found Guilty by Jury of Two Counts of Contempt of Congress
Jury Finds He Failed to Comply With House Subpoena From Select Committee Investigating Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
Stephen K. Bannon was found guilty by a jury today of two counts of contempt of Congress stemming from his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the United States Capitol.
Bannon, 68, was found guilty of one contempt count involving his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
Bannon is to be sentenced on Oct. 21, 2022. Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $100,000.
Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
“Mr. Bannon had an obligation to appear before the House Select Committee to give testimony and provide documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate and now a jury has found that he must pay the consequences.”
The conviction of Steve Bannon is a victory for the rule of law and an important affirmation of the Select Committee’s work.
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 22, 2022
As the prosecutor stated, Steve Bannon ‘chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law.’
Case Background
On Sept. 23, 2021, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Bannon. In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that he had information relevant to understanding events related to Jan. 6, 2021. The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Oct. 7, 2021, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on Oct. 14, 2021. Bannon refused to appear to give testimony as required by subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena.
Bannon, formerly a Chief Strategist and Counselor to the President, has been a private citizen since departing the White House in 2017. He was indicted on the contempt charges on Nov. 12, 2021.
Former Trump White House senior strategist Stephen Bannon speaks outside the courthouse, after being found guilty in a contempt of Congress trial. Bannon refused to testify before the January 6th Select Committee. More #GettyFootage 🎥 @somogettynews ➡️ https://t.co/3rowVbPJVV pic.twitter.com/VQD7Stj1hg
— Getty Images News (@GettyImagesNews) July 22, 2022