Bannon taken into custody on contempt charge

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon has surrendered to federal authorities.

Bannon was taken into custody Monday morning. He’s expected to appear in court later in the afternoon.

Bannon surrendered just days after he was indicted by a grand jury on charges of defying a subpoena to appear before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon has refused to speak to the committee, despite being issued a subpoena earlier this year.

The House voted in October to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress. The charge was then sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland to determine whether to pursue criminal prosecution.

“Since my first day in office, I have promised Justice Department employees that together we would show the American people by word and deed that the department adheres to the rule of law, follows the facts and the law and pursues equal justice under the law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday. “Today’s charges reflect the department’s steadfast commitment to these principles.”

The Department of Justice says each charge carries a maximum of one year in jail.

The indictment came as a second expected witness, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, defied his own subpoena from the committee on Friday.