Steve Bannon indicted on contempt charges

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The former White House strategist and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump ran afoul of the Justice Department when he defied a congressional subpoena. A House committee investigating the Capitol riot wanted Bannon to testify and turn over documents about his communications with Trump on Jan. 6. When Bannon declined to appear for a deposition in October, his attorney said a lawyer for Trump advised him not to answer questions, citing executive privilege.

What does the indictment do? If convicted, Bannon could face 30 days to one year in prison plus fines for each count of contempt of Congress. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the indictment reflects the Justice Department’s “steadfast commitment” to ensuring that the department adheres to the rule of law.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about the battle over executive privilege and the Jan. 6 investigation.

Lynde Langdon

Lynde is WORLD’s executive editor for news. She is a graduate of World Journalism Institute, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Lynde resides with her family in Wichita, Kan.

@lmlangdon