[20211119]LSB10660_班农的起诉和起诉.pdf

CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i The Bannon Indictment and Prosecution November 19, 2021 The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on November 12, 2021, that a federal grand jury in Washington, DC, had indicted Stephen K. Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress. The indictment follows as a consequence of Bannons noncompliance with subpoenas issued by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol (Select Committee) for deposition testimony and documents related to his role in and around the events of January 6, 2021. Bannon, a longtime adviser to former President Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. This Sidebar briefly describes the statutory criminal contempt of Congress process and DOJs recent treatment of contempt referrals received from the House. It then addresses various aspects of the federal criminal statute under which Bannon has been charged. The Statutory Criminal Contempt Process 2 U.S.C. 192 (Section 192) makes it a crime for any person to fail to comply with a valid congressional subpoena. As with other federal criminal offenses, DOJ has the discr