Assault on the Capitol: former Trump adviser Steve Bannon sentenced to four months in prison

“November 8 will be the day of judgment for the illegitimate regime of [Joe] Biden (…) and we know how it will end”, launched Steve Bannon at the exit of the court, in reference to the mid-term elections. NATHAN HOWARD / AP Steve Bannon, former adviser to Donald Trump, was sentenced to four months in prison by federal court in Washington on Friday, October 21. This sentence, accompanied by a fine of 6,500 dollars (just over 6,606 euros). During his trial in July, Steve Bannon produced no witnesses and did not speak. Jurors found him guilty of obstructing the investigative powers of Congress, for refusing to testify and for refusing to turn over documents. Prosecutors had requested six months of detention. His lawyers had argued for parole or house arrest. This 68-year-old man, a figure of right-wing populism in the United States, immediately announced his intention to appeal, which suspends the application of the sentence. He was therefore able to emerge free from the court. In front of the cameras, he assured “respect[r] the judge’s decision” but immediately slipped into political territory. “November 8 will be the day of judgment for the illegitimate regime of [Joe] Biden (…), and we know how it will end, ”he said in reference to the midterm elections, in which the Democrats could lose control of Congress. Quoting several members of the January 6 Commission of Inquiry, tasked with shedding light on Donald Trump’s role in the coup against his supporters, Steve Bannon predicted that they “will be[aie]unbeaten”. “Respecting Congress is an important component of our constitutional system,” said District Judge Carl Nichols, pointing out that Steve Bannon had not, to date, produced “any document or delivered any testimony” to the commission. . A ferocious critic of the establishment, Steve Bannon, who was an investment banker or director of the radical right-wing news site Breitbart, is considered one of the architects of Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. one of the president’s main advisers, he was dismissed from the White House in August 2017 after violence perpetrated by far-right supporters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Read also: Donald Trump would have tried to join his supporters on January 6, 2021 Stayed close to Trump But he had remained close to the Republican billionaire. Steve Bannon spoke with Donald Trump at least twice the day before the attack, attended a planning meeting at a Washington hotel, and said on his right-wing podcast that “all the hell [allait] go wild tomorrow. Friday’s decision does not put an end to Steve Bannon’s legal troubles. He was indicted in September on counts of money laundering, conspiracy and embezzlement in connection with the private campaign dubbed “We Build The Wall”, which raised $25 million ($25.13 million). euros) in the name of this project dear to the former Republican president. The former president is himself the subject of several investigations, and the commission of January 6 announced that it was going to summon him to appear. Its members, seven Democrats and two Republicans, must publish a report on their work by the end of the year, in which they could recommend indicting the former president. The decision will ultimately rest with the Minister of Justice, Merrick Garland, a prudent man who does not exclude anything. Read the story: Article reserved for our subscribers Around Donald Trump, in the Oval office, a “crazy” meeting before the gearing of January 6 Le Monde with AFP and Reuters