Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon handed himself in to the FBI in Washington on Monday morning after being indicted for defying a subpoena to testify before the House's investigation into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Before entering the FBI field office, he delivered a livestreamed speech to supporters urging them to focus on the big picture.
'I don't want anybody to take their eye off the ball of what we do every day,' he told viewers on the social media app GETTR.
'We got the Hispanics coming on our side, African Americans coming on our side.
'We're taking down the Biden regime every day.'
Bannon, dressed in his trademark style of three layered black shirts beneath a green waxed Barbour jacket, arrived in a three-SUV convoy.
Two security guards cleared a path through the waiting media as he made his way to the field office.
He paused before entering to deliver his message to supporters, which he used to promote the pro-Trump social media app GETTR and his own War Room podcast, running through this morning's guests.
'I want you guys to stay focused, stay on message,' he said.
'Remember: Signal not noise. This is all noise, that's signal.'
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon arrived at an FBI field office on Monday morning to face two charges of contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a subpoena
Masked security guards helped him through a throng of waiting journalists as he made his way to the FBI field office
He delivered a message to supporters before entering, using the GETTR social media app to transmit a livestream comments
Bannon, 67, is one of more than 30 people close to the former president who have been ordered by the House select committee to testify about what happened in the run-up to the deadly attack.
Investigators hope that their action against Bannon will spur other witnesses, such as former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, to testify.
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee and a member of the Jan. 6 panel, told NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday: 'It will have a very strong focusing effect on their decision-making.'
Bannon's supporters said they did not expect him to be held in custody after Monday's hearing.
Radio host John Fredericks told his listeners shortly before Bannon handed himself in: 'I couldn't imagine that [the judge] is going to take him into custody as a political prisoner. Because that's really what this is about.
'If he didn't have War Room, and if he didn't have a live radio and TV talk show, which has the biggest audience in the world - bar none - this wouldn't be happening to him.'
And Bannon's daughter said her father was being used to distract from the failings of the Biden administration.
'I think this is a political witch hunt,' Maureen Bannon told the War Room.
'I think that this regime is deflecting on crisis after crisis after crisis that's hitting the White House. S
'So they're going after my dad to make it seem like there's nothing bad going on.'
It also emerged on Monday that Bannon will be represented by David Schoen, who defended Trump during his second impeachment.
Court documents filed on Monday showed that Schoen, a Boston College Law School graduate, had joined Bannon's team.
Investigators want to know what he told former President Trump on Dec. 30 when he reportedly urged him to focus efforts on Jan. 6.
He is also believed to have been present at the Willard Hotel a day before the protests, as key Trump supporters plotted how best to prevent Congress certifying the results of the election.
'All Hell is going to break lose tomorrow,' he told listeners to the War Room.
For his part, Bannon and his lawyers have cited Trump's claim that he had 'executive privilege' to justify his decision not to cooperate.
Bannon wore a green waxed jacket over his trademark layered shirt look
A protester held a sign accusing Bannon of being a 'coup plotter' as Bannon delivered his address to supporters
'We're taking down the Biden regime every day,' Bannon told supporters in a livestreamed address, which he also used to promote the pro-Trump GETTR social media app and his own War Room podcast
A protester holding a 'Clowns are not above the law' sign arrived early for Bannon's appearance on Monday morning
That prompted the Department of Justice to file two charges of contempt of Congress against Bannon last week - one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the subpoena.
'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,' said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement announcing the indictment.
'Today’s charges reflect the department’s steadfast commitment to these principles.'
The charging document says Bannon did not communicate with the committee at all from the time he received the subpoena on Sept. 24 until his lawyer said he would not be cooperating, hours after a deadline expired.
If convicted, Bannon could face as little as 30 days or up to one year in prison on each count. Fines range between $100 and $1,000.
He has maintained a defiant stance throughout.
Last week, two hours before the charges were announced, he told listeners to the War Room: 'Remember, there are no whining and no tears in the War Room.
'We’re taking action and that action is we’re taking over school boards, we’re taking over the Republican Party through the precinct committee strategy. We’re taking over all the elections.'
Bannon's lawyer Robert Costello previously said his client would not comply with any committee requests because Trump had directed him not to and argued that any testimony being sought was protected by executive privilege.
It is the second time Bannon has been indicted in 15 months. In August 2020 he was charged with duping thousands of donors who believed their money would help build Trump's wall, but the former president pardoned him the night before Joe Biden's inauguration.
Bannon's lawyer Robert Costello his client would not comply with any committee requests because Trump had directed him not to and argued that any testimony being sought was protected by executive privilege. Trump and Bannon are pictured together in 2017
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