Bannon attorney David Schoen reportedly “sprung into action” after Nichols announced his decision, becoming much more lively than he had been throughout the rest of the hearing, per NBC News.
“One thing you have to learn as a lawyer is that when the judge has made his decision, you don’t stand up and start yelling,” Nichols responded.
But when Schoen refused to quit, the judge added that he’d “had enough.”
“I’m not yelling,” Schoen threw back, explaining that he was “passionate.”
mr schoen may be joining his client in the “clink”.
“You’re sending a man to prison who thought he was complying with the law, we don’t do that in my system,” he continued; deriding the decision as “contrary to our system of justice.”
How can someone in contempt of Congress think he was “complying with the law”?!
This almost sounds like someone who was flabbergasted that they are going to jail after being convicted in court… “I showed up to court when you asked me to, why am I being punished for that?”
It’s truly remarkable. It’s perfectly permissible to show up and claim privilege. It’s not okay to just blow it off. There is no way in hell that Bannon thought he was complying with the law.
Standard out of the conservative playbook these days. Say outlandish crap that sounds righteous - Faux News will cover what you said with sympathy and leave out the uncomfortable truthy details, so only the “right” people hear your plea and can remain outraged.
He also routinely looks unshaven. Now it’s true that many celebrities like to sport that stubbled look, but what makes it work for them is the contrast between the stubble and otherwise excellent grooming and stylish clothing. Whereas Bannon looks like he hasn’t shaved because he doesn’t own a razor and just got thrown out of the homeless shelter.
I was just wondering yesterday when this cancerous growth on the soul of this country would FINALLY have to start serving his sentence. Pity it’s only 4 months.
One thing I don’t understand is why he only got four months in jail and was never required to respond to the congressional subpoena and testify before Congress.
If someone ignored a judicial subpoena or refused to testify in a court of law, a judge could hold them in contempt of court, issue an arrest warrant and jail them until they complied. I know this has happened to reporters who have refused to reveal their sources.
Why was Bannon not simply jailed until he agreed to testify before Congress?
Congress used to use its own contempt power directly, but in the mid-19 th century passed a statute to make it an offence and handed it off to the courts.
They don’t exist now, but they did at the time he was refusing to testify.
I guess this is the actual reason, but it seems to me that the current system seems to have little enforcement power. It takes far too long and the penalties are too light. And by handing off enforcement to the prosecutors in the executive branch and the courts it opens the door to an offender in the executive branch either not being prosecuted or simply being pardoned by the President. I think Congress has hamstrung themselves.
I recall reading stories about MLK threatening law enforcement and begging judges not to send him to jail in birmingham in 1963. Oh hold on no, none of that happened because MLK was a principled and honorable man and Steve Bannon is a contemptible bully and an asshole. Full of bluster and incapable of taking responsibility for anything. Fucking cowards all of them.
(Not a direct one-to-one comparison I know, work with me here.)
Martyrdom is for the little people, like the J6 rioters.
I want to see Bannon go full Alex Jones, with the sweet, sweet tears and bawling and wimpering. Getting him frogmarched to prison on camera would be music to my eyes.