Former Trump aide Steve Bannon indicted by federal grand jury – National | Globalnews.ca

Former Trump ally Steve Bannon was indicted on Friday by a federal grand jury on charges of contempt of Congress.

Bannon faces two counts of contempt — one for his refusal to provide documents related to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol to the congressional investigators and the other, for not agreeing to sit for a deposition, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

The indictment comes as a second witness, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, resisted a similar subpoena from the committee on Friday. The chairman of the panel, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said he will be recommending contempt charges against Meadows next week.

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Bannon’s indictment shows the Justice Department’s “steadfast commitment” to making sure that the body adheres to the rule of law, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Each count means a minimum of 30 days of jail and a sentence of up to a year behind bars.

This is not the first legal peril Bannon has faced. In August of last year, he was pulled from a luxury yacht and booked on allegations that he, along with three of his associates ripped off donors trying to fund a southern border wall. He was pardoned by Trump during the latter’s final hours of presidency.

This is a breaking news story. More to come…

— With files from The Associated Press