Bannon plans to appeal 4-month sentence on contempt of Congress charges
After being sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500 for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, Steve Bannon, the onetime adviser to former President Donald Trump, spoke outside the federal courthouse on Friday, and his attorney David Schoen said they plan to appeal the sentence.
Video Transcript
DAVID SCHOEN: As usual, the judge listened carefully and entered a decision that he thought was appropriate. We certainly fully respect the judge's decision. But we will be filing a notice of appeal, as the judge indicated. Very grateful to the judge for thinking through the issues candidly, and it's an extraordinary move to permit a stay pending appeal. It was the appropriate move. The standard is whether the case raises substantial issues that reasonable jurists could differ over. Meaning, is there a solid chance for an appeal to be successful?
And there certainly is more than that in this case, I've said before, and I would confirm it, I believe that the appeal in this case is bulletproof. The constitutional issues involved in this case are very important, but Mr. Bannon never got to tell the reasons for his actions with respect to the subpoena. Never got to tell his story because the government insist--
- [INAUDIBLE] who do you mean?
DAVID SCHOEN: --the government insisted from day one on prohibiting any mention, any evidence, or any discussion to go before the jury as to why Mr. Bannon reacted as he did to the subpoena on the advice of counsel. Thank you very much. I look forward to a adjudicated appeal.
- Mr. Bannon? Your silence was noteworthy during the case, Mr. Bannon.
DAVID SCHOEN: His silence was at my direction.
STEVE BANNON: Yeah. Hang on. I want to--
[CLEARS THROAT]
By the way, I want to say one thing. I respect the judge. The sentence he came down with today is his decision. I fully respect him and totally respectful of this entire process on the legal side.
