Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former US President Donald Trump, was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riots, The Associated Press reports.
Bannon, 68, was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena.
The jury of 8 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours, noted AP.
He faces up to two years in federal prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 21. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.
Bannon is one of a host of Trump associates who received subpoenas to appear before the committee, but initially refused to do so. As such, the US House of Representatives voted this past October to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena.
Later, however, Bannon did a turnabout and told the House committee that he is now willing to testify.
Bannon’s lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didn’t refuse to cooperate and that the dates “were in flux.” They pointed to the fact that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off — after Trump waived his objection — and had offered to testify before the committee.
In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible and subject to negotiation.
Other Trump allies to have been subpoenaed by the House committee include his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.
In addition to Bannon, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Peter Navarro and Daniel Scavino have also been held in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear before the January 6 committee.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)