Trump Ally Steve Bannon Indicted On Contempt Of Congress Charges

WASHINGTON, DC — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and former White House chief strategist, was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress. The indictment stems from Bannon's failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon, 67, is charged with one contempt count in connection with his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents for the committee. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the charges in a news release.

Each count of contempt carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $1,000.

An arraignment date has not yet been set.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the House voted last month to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying "no."

Prior to the House vote, the Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 to recommend contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel, citing a letter from Trump's lawyer that directed him not to answer questions.

The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that "all hell is going to break loose.