US prosecutors recommend ex-Trump adviser be sentenced to 6 months in jail

Washington, Oct 18

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is recommending that Steve Bannon, who served as chief strategist for former President Donald Trump, be sentenced to six months in jail for defying a congressional subpoena.

The DOJ wrote in a court filing on Monday that it also wants Bannon to pay a fine of $200,000 for refusing to testify before the House select panel investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, reports Xinhua news agency.

The recommendation came ahead of a sentencing hearing for Bannon later this week.

In a separate filing, the former advisor argued he should not to go jail "for relying on the advice of his lawyers".

Bannon, 68, was indicted last year after defying the subpoena from the January 6 committee.

He was chief executive of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and served as senior counsellor at the White House before being fired in August 2017.