Steve Bannon arrives for a court appearance over contempt of Congress, November 15, 2021

Donald Trump’s former chief strategist and hard-right polemicist Steve Bannon has been given four months in prison and a $6,500 fine for contempt of Congress.

Bannon — pre-emptively pardoned by Trump on January 20, 2021 over charges related to a multi-million dollar fraud — was convicted on two charges over his refusal to answer a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Capitol Attack that occurred two weeks earlier.

He was given four months on each charge, to be served concurrently.

See also EA on Monocle 24 — Steve Bannon’s Contempt of Congress

The Justice Department was seeking a six-month sentence and fine of $200,000. Bannon was hoping for probation.

Before announcing the sentence, US District Judge Carl Nichols said that, amid the “serious” events of January 6, there were “problems” with Bannon’s claim that Trump’s assertions of privilege precluded him testifying or turning over documents.

The judge noted that as a private citizen who left the Trump White House House in August 2017, Bannon was less likely to have privileged documents than others.

Nichols said that, in mitigation, the subpoena raised potential legal issues, because it concerned someone who spoke directly to the President. He noted that Bannon had used a lawyer to engage with the committee, and that the the select committee could have used a civil lawsuit to force compliance with the subpoena.

But the judge concluded, amid the ongoing investigations of Trump and his inner circle, that Bannon had shown “no remorse for his actions” and had yet to “demonstrate he has any intention of complying with the subpoena”. Bannon appeared “to be of perhaps some very small risk of recidivism.”

“Others must be deterred from similar crimes,” Nichols added.

Bannon would not have to serve the sentence until he exhausts any appeal.

The former head of hard-right attack site Breitbart has 14 days to file the appeal. His attorney David Schoen proclaimed, “I’ve said it before and I would confirm it, I believe that the appeal in this case is bulletproof.”

Bannon blustered:

Today was my judgment day by the judge….

On November 8, there’s going to (be) judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime…and quite frankly, [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and the entire committee.

Last month, Bannon was indicted in New York State court for fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy over $25 million raised from donors for Trump’s Wall with Mexico. Trump’s January 2021 pardon only covers federal prosecution.