Former Trump ally Steve Bannon was indicted on Friday by a federal grand jury on charges of contempt of Congress.
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Congress vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt amid U.S. Capitol riot investigation
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.
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
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