A jury found Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress on Friday afternoon, after prosecutors accused the ex-adviser to former President Donald Trump of deciding he was "above the law" in ignoring a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, The Washington Post reports.
"This case is not complicated, but it is important," Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston said during closing arguments. "The defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law."
The jury deliberated for just over two hours on Friday. Bannon is now "the closest person to the former president convicted amid the fallout" from the Capitol riot, writes the Post. Depending on his sentencing in October, he could also be the first person in over half a century to be jailed for contempt of Congress.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bannon defense lawyer Evan Corcoran at one point presented "a series of letters" to try and convinced jurors that the signature on Bannon's subpoena may have been forged, Politico reports.
"If you've got a doubt in your mind, you've got to give Steve Bannon the benefit," Corcoran said. The former adviser "didn't intentionally refuse to comply with anything," the lawyer added separately.
The House panel hoped to speak with Bannon because of his relationship with Trump, as well as a statement he made on his podcast on Jan. 5, 2021, in which he appeared to foreshadow the following day's events, reports The New York Times.
Both counts of contempt are punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a maximum of one year in prison.
Update: 3 p.m. ET, July 22: This story has been updated to reflect the guilty verdict.
Update: 3:30 p.m. ET, July 26: This story has been updated to reflect the correct maximum fine for each contempt count, per the Times.
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How climate change poses a national security threatThe explainer A global problem causing more global problems
-
The 5 best TV shows about the mobThe Week Recommends From the show that launched TV’s golden age to a Batman spin-off, viewers can’t get enough of these magnificent mobsters
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
