Steve Bannon pleads not guilty to criminal contempt of Congress charges

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Steve Bannon, the former adviser to former President Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of criminal contempt of Congress, his attorney David Schoen told Fox News.

Schoen said Bannon entered the not guilty plea in written form. A virtual status hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Bannon was charged after defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

RARE PROSECUTION IN BANNON CONTEMPT CASE SIGNALS SHIFT BY BIDEN DOJ

Bannon struck a defiant tone outside the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., where he appeared on Monday, saying he is "taking on the Biden regime."

Bannon, left, and his attorney David Schoen, address the media after an appearance at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse on contempt of Congress charges for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Committee investigating the January 6th riot, on Monday, November 15, 2021. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"This is going to be a misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden," he said Monday.

He is being charged for refusing to appear for a congressional deposition and for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee's subpoena. The charges could carry up to a year in prison and $1,000 fine, each.

Steve Bannon, former adviser to Donald Trump, waves to members of the media as he departs federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (Craig Hudson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The House voted 229-202 to hold Bannon in contempt last month on Oct. 21. Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois were the nine Republicans who voted to hold Bannon in contempt.

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The last time the Justice Department secured a conviction for contempt of Congress in federal court was back in the Watergate era, when Nixon adviser G. Gordon Liddy was convicted for refusing to answer questions and former Attorney General Richard Kleindienst pleaded guilty.

Fox News' Houston Keene, Ronn Blitzer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.