Steve Bannon verdict: Ex Trump adviser sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress

A US justice has sentenced Donald Trump's embattled erstwhile strategist Steve Bannon to 4 months successful jailhouse for contempt of Congress.

Bannon, 68, was convicted successful July connected 2 counts - for refusing to supply either grounds oregon documents to a committee probing the 6 January 2021 riot astatine the US Capitol.

In summation to the jailhouse time, Bannon indispensable besides present wage a good of $6,500 (£5,833).

He has denied immoderate transgression wrongdoing.

Judge Carl Nichols said that Bannon would beryllium released for the clip being, portion immoderate entreaty to condemnation is resolved.

Bannon was a cardinal subordinate successful Donald Trump's palmy 2016 predetermination run and aboriginal took the relation of main strategist astatine the White House. He near that presumption pursuing a convulsive far-right rally successful Charlottesville, Virginia successful August 2017. Even aft his departure, the combative and arguable podcaster was considered a apical state of Mr Trump.

The narration betwixt the 2 men, however, has occasionally been complicated. Following the 2018 work of the publication "Fire and Fury" by writer Michael Wolff - which attributed a fig of arguable statements to Bannon - Mr Trump disavowed him, saying that helium "cried erstwhile helium got fired and begged for his job" and referred to him arsenic "Sloppy Steve".

In the aftermath of the 6 January 2021 riot, Bannon did not comply with a summons - known arsenic a subpoena - seeking grounds and records astir efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 statesmanlike election, arsenic good arsenic astir the events that pb up to the storming of Congress.

Prosecutor JP Cooney said connected Friday that Mr Bannon "hid down a fabricated assertion of enforcement privilege to thumb his chemoreceptor astatine Congress".

"It indispensable beryllium made wide to the nationalist ....that nary 1 is supra the law," Mr Cooney added.

Ahead of Bannon's sentencing, prosecutors alleged that this refusal to comply "exacerbated the battle connected the Capitol" and that helium "continues to unlawfully withhold documents and grounds that basal to assistance the committee's authorised probe to get to the bottommost of what led to January 6."

Bannon's attorneys person characterised the lawsuit arsenic politically motivated and said that helium was attempting to negociate - alternatively than disregard - the subpoenas. They added that helium believed the deadlines successful the summons were flexible.

Judge Nichols partially agreed, saying that it appeared that Bannon was pursuing ineligible proposal and that helium "did not wholly disregard the subpoena oregon neglect to prosecute with the committee astatine all".

Defence lawyer David Schoen - who represented Mr Trump successful his 2nd impeachment proceedings astatine the US Senate - said that Bannon was acting "on principle". He besides accused prosecutors of being "in zeal" to marque Bannon "their trophy".

"Quite frankly, Mr Bannon should marque nary apology," Mr Schoen said. "There is thing present to deter. There is thing present to punish."

In their ain sentencing memorandum, the defence said their lawsuit should beryllium sentenced to probation lone and stated that contempt of Congress charges are rare. Two different elder Trump medication officials, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and his deputy, Dan Scavino Jr, were not charged aft ignoring committee subpoenas.

In a abstracted case, Bannon is besides facing abstracted fraud, conspiracy and wealth laundering charges successful New York aft being accused of cheating donors to a fundraiser aimed astatine helping Mr Trump physique a partition astatine the US-Mexico border.

He antecedently faced national charges implicit the aforesaid allegations earlier being pardoned by Mr Trump.