Former advisor to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon is pleading not guilty to a contempt of Congress charge related to his refusal to cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to a notice filed in federal court on Wednesday.
The filing came in advance of an arraignment scheduled for Thursday before US District Judge Carl Nichols. The decision by Bannon’s attorneys to enter a not guilty plea means the court will likely skip a formal arraignment.
A federal grand jury indictment Bannon on Friday on two charges of contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 House select committee.
The Wednesday filing begins the court battle in what Bannon calls a “misdemeanor from hell” for the Biden administration.
“I’m telling you right now, this is going to be the misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden,” Bannon told reporters. “I’m never going to back down. We’re going to go on offense.”
“They took on the wrong guy this time; they took on the wrong guys,” he added.
If convicted Bannon faces up to one year in jail for each charge as well as a fine of $100 to $100,000.
