Steve Bannon Sentenced to 4 Months in Jail for Defying January 6 Committee Subpoena

A judge on Friday sentenced Steve Bannon, an ally of former President Donald Trump, to four months in prison after he defied a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

This may be a preview of what will happen to Trump should he defy a subpoena from the same committee.

According to Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that the right-wing radio host and former Trump chief strategist be sent to jail for four months and pay a fine of $6,500. However, the judge allowed Bannon to stay free pending appeal, which is likely a lengthy process.

Steve Bannon Tried to Get a Lighter Sentence but Was Denied

Steve Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress back in July.

The first one was for refusing to sit for a deposition, while the other was for refusing to provide the January 6 committee with documents.

Bannon's lawyers asked the judge to sentence him to probation, but prosecutors asked the court to send Bannon to jail for six months.

In sentencing the Trump ally to four months in prison, Nichols clarified that "contempt of Congress is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of at least one month behind bars."

According to CNN, Nichols noted that the former Trump campaign chief strategist showed no remorse for his actions, leading to the judge imposing a heavier punishment on Bannon.

"In my view, Mr. Bannon has not taken responsibility for his actions... Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes," the judge said before imposing the sentence.

Nichols also pointed out that there were "problems" with Bannon's position that Trump had "executive privilege," which means that he could not testify nor turn over documents.

However, it was not all against Bannon as the judge said, "Mr. Bannon did not completely ignore the fact that he had received a subpoena."

Nichols noted that Bannon's attorney was the one who engaged with the committee, which meant that he did not completely ignore the subpoena.

Bannon had reportedly been compliant with the conditions of pretrial release and in the proceedings in the judge's courtroom.

What Steve Bannon's Contempt of Congress Sentence Could Mean For Donald Trump

Steve Bannon's sentencing came just a few hours before the House January 6 committee issued the subpoena for Donald Trump.

According to the BBC, this timing is significant for the committee. Bannon being sentenced to serve behind bars represented "one of the most high-profile punishments yet handed down to his backers." However, Bannon remained defiant, telling a group of journalists before entering a Washington, D.C. federal courthouse on Friday that the "illegitimate regime, their judgment day is on 8th November, when the Biden administration ends."

The BBC reported that this kind of language got Bannon in trouble in the first place.

Nichols said he hoped his ruling could at least have a cautionary effect on others as he showed that courts were willing to take actions recommended by the January 6 panel.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in prison for criminal contempt of Congress - From ABC News