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Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months for contempt, pending appeal

The former Trump adviser was convicted in July of ignoring a Jan. 6 subpoena.

Last Updated: October 21, 2022, 12:39 PM EDT

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was sentenced Friday following his conviction on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, after he defied a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 panel for records and testimony in September of last year. He refused to comply and was found guilty of contempt in July.

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Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Oct 21, 2022, 11:46 AM EDT

Bannon, defiant, says he will appeal conviction

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after receiving his four-month sentence, Bannon said he respected the judge's decision. But he was defiant about his conviction, and his attorney confirmed he would be filing a notice of appeal.

Former Trump White House senior advisor Steve Bannon leaves federal court after being sentenced on Oct. 21, 2022 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Bannon also attacked the Jan. 6 committee and urged people to vote in the upcoming election.

Protesters nearby chanted "traitor" and "liar" as he spoke.

Oct 21, 2022, 11:30 AM EDT

Judge reiterates seriousness of Jan. 6

In sentencing Bannon to four months, Judge Nichols reiterated how serious the events of Jan. 6 were and said the congressional committee has every reason to investigate what happened that day and to prevent anything like it from happening again.

Nichols emphasized that Bannon has not produced a single document or any testimony to the Jan. 6 committee -- nor did he provide a log of documents that he believed to be covered by executive privilege.

However, the judge said the factors in Bannon's favor include that he was taking the advice of counsel, even if it was misguided. Nichols also said the committee did not attempt to sue Bannon to enforce their subpoena.

The four-month sentence is two months shorter than the sentence prosecutors had been seeking.

Oct 21, 2022, 11:16 AM EDT

Judge sentences Bannon to 4 months, pending appeal

Steve Bannon has been sentenced to four months in prison and has been ordered to pay a fine of $6,500.

However Judge Nichols said he agreed that Bannon should not have to serve a sentence while he appeals his case, which Bannon has indicated he will do.

Oct 21, 2022, 10:57 AM EDT

Bannon attorney argues for executive privilege

Bannon attorney David Schoen took exception to the suggestion that Bannon did not have a legitimate claim of executive privilege when he rejected the committee's subpoena.

In particular, Schoen went after Trump lawyer Justin Clark, who told DOJ investigators in July that at no point did former President Donald Trump ever invoke executive privilege over Bannon's testimony.

"You wouldn't believe a thing he says," Schoen said of Clark, who also contradicted other claims made by Bannon's defense team in their case.