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AILSA CHANG, HOST:
A federal choose says former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is headed to jail for 4 months however not earlier than he will get an opportunity to attraction his conviction for contempt of Congress. Bannon’s lawyer David Schoen addressed reporters outdoors the courthouse.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DAVID SCHOEN: It is a unprecedented transfer to allow a keep pending attraction. It was the suitable transfer.
CHANG: NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson is on the federal courthouse in Washington, and he or she’s with us now to speak extra about this case. Hey, Carrie.
CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE: Hey there.
CHANG: So are you able to simply first remind us why the Home Choose Committee investigating January 6 needed info from Steve Bannon?
JOHNSON: The Home panel says it thinks Bannon might need identified much more in regards to the planning for January 6. Lawmakers identified a day earlier than the assault on the Capitol, Steve Bannon stated, all hell goes to interrupt free tomorrow. And Bannon additionally participated in conferences on the battle room on the Willard Lodge earlier than the mob stormed the Capitol on January 6. And even earlier than the 2020 election, Bannon was speaking about how former President Donald Trump would possibly refuse to acknowledge the outcomes.
CHANG: Properly, let me ask you – as a result of 4 months is a bit shorter than what prosecutors had been asking for, proper? Like, how did the choose arrive at this sentence? Was there an evidence?
JOHNSON: Yeah. Prosecutors had been asking for six months, and Bannon needed probation. However that was a no-go for this choose. Decide Carl Nichols discovered that defiance of Congress was fairly critical and that lawmakers have each motive to research what occurred on January 6. However he additionally stated Bannon might have gotten authorized recommendation that was overly aggressive or misguided. And that concern, whether or not Bannon relied on his lawyer and whether or not a jury ought to have heard that proof, will likely be on the coronary heart of Bannon’s attraction. The choose is permitting Bannon to stay free pending attraction. And he imposed a tremendous of $6,500 for Steve Bannon.
CHANG: Properly, I do know that you have been on the courthouse. What was the ambiance like within the courtroom?
JOHNSON: You realize, Steve Bannon does plenty of speaking outdoors court docket, however he stated nothing to the choose at this time. This case was all about whether or not Bannon flouted the Congress, flouted the subpoena from Congress and deflected by attacking his political enemies and the justice system. Now, that is precisely what his lawyer did in court docket. The lawyer stated the January 6 committee had a partisan political agenda. And he stated Bannon had no regret for his actions. Actually, lawyer David Schoen stated Bannon’s contempt of Congress might have been lots worse. However however, the prosecutor on this case, J.P. Cooney, stated Bannon fabricated excuses like unhealthy authorized recommendation and bogus claims of govt privilege, which he stated did not apply to Bannon since Trump by no means formally asserted the privilege and Bannon hadn’t labored within the White Home for years. This prosecutor stated nobody’s above the regulation, and he needed the choose to ship that message to different folks, too.
CHANG: So I am questioning, what do you assume, Carrie? Like, what sorts of implications might this sentence have for different folks dealing with fees in the meanwhile?
JOHNSON: Properly, if an appeals court docket ultimately buys Bannon’s argument, that might have a broader influence on the flexibility of Congress to implement its subpoenas. However even earlier than this attraction will get underway, we now have one other case of contempt of Congress proper on this courthouse. Subsequent month former Trump commerce adviser Peter Navarro goes to trial on fees that he blew off the January 6 committee, too. And this afternoon the committee issued a subpoena to former President Trump as nicely. So we’ll see what occurs there within the coming weeks.
CHANG: That’s NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson on the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. Thanks, Carrie.
JOHNSON: Comfortable to be right here. Transcript supplied by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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