Former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon has been sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500 for refusing a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee, ABC News reports. In July, Bannon was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress after only three hours of deliberation.
The sentence is less than what the Justice Department was seeking, a six-month sentence and fine of $200,000, reports CNN. They argued that Bannon "pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt" when the subpoena was announced, The New York Times reports.
Judge Carl J. Nichols, who oversaw the case, agreed Bannon showed "no remorse for his actions" and hasn't shown "he has any intention of complying with the subpoena," as Bannon has argued he is protected by executive privilege. However, Nichols saw Bannon's Navy service and lack of criminal history as factors in giving him a lower sentence, the Times continues.
Nichols also said Bannon would not have to serve his sentence until after his appeal of the conviction.
Bannon's attorney David Schoen said he believes "the appeal in this case is bulletproof," and that Bannon "never got to tell the reason for his actions."
In response to his sentence, Bannon said, "Today was my judgment day by the judge," but continued to say that the midterms will be judgment day for the Democrats.