BANNONS TRIUMPHANT EXIT FROM FED COURTHOUSE-LAWYER RIPS JAN6TH

BANNONS TRIUMPHANT EXIT FROM FED COURTHOUSE-LAWYER RIPS JAN6TH

Despite Friday’s indictment, it’s unclear whether even the prospect of jail time will compel Bannon to testify; as the Washington Post’s Philip Bump wrote on Friday, “the indictment will likely be a point of pride [for Bannon], proof that he’s a true soldier in this world-altering struggle that he’s been hyping on his show.”

Regardless of Bannon’s own inclination to testify, however, it now appears substantially more likely that he will face some consequence for not doing so, unlike previous Trump officials who have flouted subpoenas; if found guilty, according to the DOJ, he will face “a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000” for each of the two charges of contempt.

And with the DOJ backing up Congress’s requests for information with real legal muscle, the threat of a subpoena could prove a powerful incentive to testify — and a key tool for Congress in the face of Trump’s efforts to stonewall the investigation.