Last Updated on October 21, 2022
Former Trump White House advisor and War Room host Steve Bannon has been sentenced to four months in federal prison for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena from Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 committee. The Bannon sentencing mirrors January 6 sentencing in that high-ranking Democrats — the most notable being former Attorney General Eric Holder — have never been punished for defying subpoenas, just as leftist protesters do not receive prison terms for picketing in the Capitol building.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols handed down the sentence to Bannon, 68, in addition to a $6,500 fine. The sentence will be suspended while an appeal plays out, however.
Nichols complained about lack of remorse, citing comments in which Bannon compared the committee to Stalin’s Soviet Union, among other things. The judge also took issue with Bannon’s political opinions in a sentencing memo.
“Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes,” Judge Nichols said. The judge ultimately came short of the prosecution’s request for six months behind bars and a $200,000 fine.
Bannon attorney David Schoen said that he and his client “fully respect” the judge’s ruling but would appeal. Schoen called the judge’s stay of Bannon’s sentence “extraordinary,” and added that the appeal will be “bulletproof.”
“Remember, this illegitimate regime, their judgment day is on 8 November, when the Biden administration ends … By the way, and remember: Take down the CCP,” Bannon said as he arrived at the courthouse.
Many conservatives have pointed out that former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder received no consequences after he was held in contempt of Congress over his refusal to hand over documents relating to the “fast and furious” scandal in 2012. Congress also opted not to pursue contempt charges against former IRS official Lois Lerner over her refusal to cooperate fully with the IRS targeting scandal.
