Bannon to plead not guilty to contempt charges
By Rebecca Beitsch and Harper Neidig - 11/17/21 01:29 PM EST
Onetime White House strategist Stephen Bannon moved to plead not guilty Wednesday to criminal contempt of Congress charges after he failed to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Bannon was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday, facing two counts: one for failing to appear for an Oct. 14 deposition before the panel and another for refusal to provide documents.
The filing anticipates an arraignment scheduled for Thursday for Bannon in which he was expected to plead not guilty. His lawyers filed a motion Wednesday to enter the not guilty plea and skip the arraignment — a move that requires approval from the judge.
If convicted, Bannon faces serious penalties. Each charge carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $100,000, meaning Bannon could be fined up to $200,000 and spend as much as two years in jail.
“I'm telling you right now, this is going to be the misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. ... We’re going on the offense,” Bannon told reporters Monday after turning himself in to federal authorities.
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https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/581998-bannon-to-plead-not-guilty-to-contempt-charges
