A federal grand jury has indicted Steve Bannon, a former aide to Donald Trump, on two counts contempt of Congress. Bannon defied a subpoena from the committee overseeing the investigation of the January 6 insurrection. CNN writes:
Attorney General Merrick Garland has been under tremendous political pressure to indict Bannon since the House referred the Trump ally to the Justice Department for contempt on October 21. “Since my first day in office, I have promised Justice Department employees that together we would show the American people by word and deed that the Department adheres to the rule of law, follows the facts and the law, and pursues equal justice under the law,” Garland said in a statement Friday. “Today’s charges reflect the Department’s steadfast commitment to these principles.”
Bannon was charged with one count of failure to appear and another of failing to produce documents for the committee.
The New York Times adds:
While many of those who received subpoenas have sought to work to some degree with the committee, Mr. Bannon claimed that his conversations with Mr. Trump were covered by executive privilege, even though he has been a private citizen since 2017. He said he would not comply with the committee’s requests.
Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000.
NBC News is reporting Bannon is expected to surrender on Monday and appear in court later that afternoon.
