Trump supporter Steve Bannon convicted of slander

Washington – Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was found Friday after being found guilty of defying a subpoena from a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. will be sentenced to

Bannon was found guilty in July One is refusal to take a deposition and the other is refusal to provide documents.

the prosecutor asked the judge in his case hand down a large sentence of six months in prisonBannon’s attorneys, meanwhile, argue that his client deserves a suspended sentence. The contempt of Congress statutes each carry a minimum sentence of 30 days in prison, but Mr Bannon’s lawyers say the judge can’t sentence him to probation and send him to prison. .

A House committee was seeking Bannon’s testimony about his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors said Bannon had not yet submitted any testimony or documents to the commission.

the prosecutor argued Bannon68, he pursued a “vicious strategy” and his public statements defaming the Commission itself sought to find out the truth about the violent attacks and their actions to prevent such things from happening. Deserving a longer prison term for revealing that he wanted to undermine the effort.

Meanwhile, the defense says he was not acting in bad faith and is trying to avoid running counter to executive privilege objections Trump raised when Bannon first received a committee subpoena last year. A former adviser to the president said he wanted Trump’s lawyers present, but the committee would not allow it.

Many other former White House aides have testified solely to their own attorneys. did.

Mr Bannon also noted that Mr Trump offered to testify after relinquishing his presidency. But that was after the contempt charges were filed, and prosecutors have said they will only agree to a deposition if the case is dropped.

Prosecutors are seeking maximum fines, and Bannon refused to answer routine questions about his income, arguing he could pay whatever the judge imposed.