Bannon Appeals Conviction for Defying Jan. 6 Committee
TL/DR –
Steve Bannon, a former adviser of Donald Trump, is seeking to overturn his four-month prison sentence for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee. Bannon was sentenced in October last year and fined $6,500, but the sentence was suspended pending an appeal process. His lawyer, David Schoen, argues that Bannon should have been permitted to invoke executive privilege and other defenses before the jury in his trial, a move which he claims was barred by the lower court in violation of the 5th and 6th Amendments.
Steve Bannon’s Legal Team to Battle Prison Sentence in Appeals Court
Steve Bannon’s lawyers are expected to contest his four-month prison sentence in federal appeals court. Bannon, the former advisor to Donald Trump, was sentenced for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee.
Bannon’s sentencing occurred in October last year. He was given a $6,500 fine and a four-month jail term, but Judge Carl Nichols suspended the sentence pending appeals. He was charged with contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas, leading to a conviction on two counts.
As the host of “Bannon’s War Room” podcast, Bannon argues that he was wrongfully denied the opportunity to invoke executive privilege and other defenses during the trial.
In an appeal brief, Bannon’s attorney claimed the lower court violated Bannon’s rights by prohibiting him from presenting his defenses to the jury. His attorney, David Schoen, also noted that Bannon believed he had acted legally when he invoked executive privilege in response to the subpoena.
Schoen asserted that Bannon had respected a claim of executive privilege from former President Donald Trump, a statement that prosecutors contested. “Bannon should make no apology,” Schoen proclaimed after the sentencing, emphasizing that Bannon had acted as advised by his legal counsel.
Bannon, who served in the White House during the initial seven months of Trump’s presidency, never gave information to the House Jan. 6 committee, which disbanded early this year.
In a separate development, Bannon was subpoenaed in a grand jury investigation into Jan. 6 and Trump’s efforts to retain his presidency, as per sources familiar with the matter.
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