The United States Department of Justice on Monday recommended six months in prison for convicted criminal and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon over what it describes as his "sustained, bad-faith contempt of Congress."
However, Politico's Kyle Cheney flags new information in the DOJ's sentencing recommendations showing that Bannon could have gotten himself in more trouble with what he describes as a last-ditch effort to "derail" his prosecution.
Of particular note is a proposal floated by Bannon lawyer Evan Corcoran to top Jan. 6 Committee investigator Tim Heaphy that offered Bannon's full cooperation with the committee's investigation in exchange for having the DOJ drop all charges against Bannon for contempt of Congress.
In contemporaneous notes taken by Heaphy, the Jan. 6 Committee investigator expressed skepticism that this was a sincere offer of total cooperation.
"My takeaway is that Bannon knows that this proposal for continuance and ultimate dismissal of his trial is likely a non-starter, which prompted him to call us to explore support as leverage," he wrote. "I expect that DOJ will not be receptive to this proposal, as he is guilty of the charged crime and cannot cure his culpability with subsequent compliance with the subpoena."
In its sentencing recommendations, the DOJ cites this proposed deal as more evidence that Bannon was never dealing in good faith.
Specifically, it notes that Bannon's lawyers "never contacted the Government" directly with its offer "perhaps because the Government had made clear through its leadings and at argument that it understood the Defendant's actions to be a stunt and would not consider dismissing the case."
Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress this past summer after the jury in the case deliberated for just three hours.
