In a completely unheard of move, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has a recommendation on the sentencing of former Trump aide, Steve Bannon. The DOJ wants Bannon to serve 6 months in prison and pay a $200,000 fine for not complying with the J6 committee.
In a filing Monday, the Justice Department said “the rioters that overran the Capitol on January 6 did not just attack a building—they assaulted the rule of law upon which this country was built and through which it endures.”
Bannon argues that he was protected by executive privilege as an advisor to the president which would protect him from being forced to participate in the J6 witchhunt. The DOJ, however, argues that Bannon was no longer a federal employee and was not protected under that right. Bannon was found guilty for not recognizing the J6 subpoena and will now face sentencing.
“By floating the Select Committee’s subpoena and its authority, the Defendant exacerbated that assault,” the Justice Department wrote. “To this day, he continues to unlawfully withhold documents and testimony that stand to help the Committee’s authorized investigation to get to the bottom of what led to January 6 and ascertain what steps must be taken to ensure that it never happens again.”
The DOJ added: “That cannot be tolerated.”
The DOJ said that respect for the rule of law is “essential to the functioning of the United States government and to preserving the freedom and good order this country has enjoyed for more than two centuries.”
“The Defendant’s bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt deserves severe punishment,” the Justice Department said, recommending that the court impose a six-month prison sentence “reflecting the most severe Guidelines-compliant punishment available” and fine Bannon $200,000.
The reason I say that this is unheard of is that the charges against Bannon are misdemeanors and rarely lead to jail time but clearly, the DOJ wants to make an example out of the former Trump staffers.
Bannon’s lawyers have already signaled that they intend to appeal.