Donald Trump’s ally Steve Bannon is facing a U.S. court on contempt charges

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Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former U.S. president Donald Trump, has appeared before a judge to face criminal contempt charges for denying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the deadly attack on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon had earlier surrendered to FBI agents.

The 67-year-old was charged Friday with two counts of criminal contempt-one for refusing to appear for a congressional deposition and one for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena.

Bannon did not enter a plea during the hearing.

Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather released him without bail but asked him to check in weekly with court officials and ordered him to surrender his passport.

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon has arrived at the FBI’s Washington DC office. Credits: AP

He is set to return to court on Thursday.

If convicted, Bannon will face at least 30 days and a maximum of one year behind bars per count, prosecutors said.

Outside the courthouse, a large inflatable rat that looked like former president Trump was on the sidewalk as journalists waited for Bannon to leave the courthouse.

The accusation came as a second expected witness, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, objected to a separate subpoena from the committee on Friday and as Trump exacerbated his legal fights to hide documents and testimony about the riot in the Capitol.

If the House votes to contempt Meadows, that recommendation will also be sent to the Justice Department for a possible indictment.

Violent insurgents loyal to President Donald Trump are trying to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. Credits: Julio Cortez/APSteve Bannon (r) was Donald Trump’s chief strategist early on Trump’s presidency. Credits: AP

Officials in both Democratic and Republican administrations have been despised by Congress but criminal accusations for contempt are very rare.

The accusation against Bannon comes after a dead Trump administration official – including Bannon – has objected to requests and requests from Congress over the past five years with little consequence, including during an investigation into impeachment.

The administration of President Barack Obama has also refused to charge two of its officials with violating congressional requests.

The plaintiff said Bannon did not contact the committee in any way since he received the subpoena on Sept. 24 to Oct. 7 when his attorney sent the letter, seven hours after the documents.

Bannon, who worked at the White House at the beginning of the Trump administration and currently hosts the War Room: Pandemic podcast, was a private citizen who “refused to appear to testify as required by a subpoena,” the indictment said. .

When Bannon refused to appear for his deposition in October, his attorney said the former Trump adviser was instructed by an attorney for Trump citing executive privilege not to answer questions.

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