Why is "Contempt of Congress" only a misdemeanor?

[WarGamer]

Going on trial for Contempt of Congress is equivalent to indecent exposure or possession of a joint...

https://ktla.com/news/ex-trump-adviser-navarro-indicted-by-grand-jury/

No wonder these people just tell Congress to go fuck themselves... no real teeth.

[hlthe2b]

1. Well, contempt of court is a misdemeanor too (though in limited circumstances...

it can be escalated to a felony)...

[WarGamer]

2. I bet people would be more likely to cooperate...

If it was a felony.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

3. I bet people who think misdemeanor jail time is no big deal

Have never been to jail…

[WarGamer]

4. the number of misdemeanor convictions that end in jail time...

Is minuscule.

Navarro will just drag this out and eventually produce the documents.

[Pobeka]

5. If convicted, he faces the possibility of up to a year in jail and $100,000 in fines for each count.

He's up on two counts.

Okay reality is he'll not get the max, because, you know, justice in america is broken.

[WarGamer]

6. He'll pull a Bannon...

Drag out the legal system until after November, hoping GOP wins.

He'll wait til the last minute and then produce the documents and charges will be dropped.

[Pobeka]

7. Yep. It's so obvious isnt' it? And too often it works.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

12. I've been hearing about a lot of convictions over the past year

Not sure where you’re getting your only two information…

[former9thward]

14. What you are hearing is people taking pleas.

Not trials. There have been very few of those. The pleas have been mainly to misdemeanors with little or no jail time.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

21. So there have been more than two indictments

And multiple convictions.
Gotcha.

[Ohio Joe]

16. The trial starts July 18th

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/07/politics/bannon-status-conference-contempt-charge/index.html

[WarGamer]

10. I've been trying to Google...

Is there a list of people who've been historically charged with Contempt of Congress and the disposition of their cases?

I found a list of those held in contempt of Congress... including Janet Reno, Eric Holder, Meadows and Bill Barr... but no list of Federal prosecutions.

[bigtree]

13. this also, from today

NY prosecutors are moving closer to charging Steve Bannon in border wall effort Trump pardoned him for

(CNN) Several close allies of Steve Bannon have been subpoenaed to testify before a New York state grand jury investigating his fundraising for a private border wall effort, people familiar with the investigation tell CNN.

The subpoenas were sent to several witnesses in recent weeks, requiring them to appear and provide testimony for the Manhattan district attorney's probe, the people said. Among those who received subpoenas are people in Bannon's "immediate circle," according to one of the sources familiar with the matter.

The subpoenas are the clearest indication that the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation into Bannon's fundraising efforts is intensifying and could lead to possible charges against former President Donald Trump's onetime adviser.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/politics/steve-bannon-new-york-grand-jury-build-the-wall/index.html


Bannon is scheduled to go to trial in July in the criminal contempt-of-Congress case the DOJ has brought against him for not complying with the House January 6 Committee's subpoena.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/15/politics/steve-bannon-contempt-of-congress-trial/index.html

[msongs]

15. the bigger question is why is contempt of congress rarely if ever enforced. nt

[AZSkiffyGeek]

22. You mean like it was today? And was with Bannon?

[walkingman]

19. Sorry but there will be no conviction or if by chance there is it will be probation. The

American Justice system is all about no accountability for anyone other than the worker bees. It is all about money and connections.

[bigtree]

20. it's not all about the conviction

...it's about the documents he's been withholding which include conversations between Navatto and Trump, and other co conspirators about the plot he's descibed in public to overturn the results of the presidential election.

There's also the element of coercing Navarro's cooperation. The prospect of two months in jail can animate even the most recalicitrant offenders.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

23. Shhh, they don't want justice or truth

The just wanna see Trump supporters in jail and don’t care how they get there…