Former US President Donald Trump's longtime advisor Steve Bannon has appeared in a federal court after surrendering to the FBI on criminal charges arising from his defiance of a congressional inquiry into the Capitol riot on 6 January.
Mr Bannon, indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday on two counts of contempt of Congress, appeared before Judge Robin Meriweather.
Hours earlier, Mr Bannon turned himself in at an FBI office in Washington, flanked by bodyguards and making ominous comments about President Joe Biden.
"We're taking down the Biden regime," Mr Bannon told a throng of journalists.
In comments aimed at his supporters, he looked directly into a camera that was live-streaming on the social media platform GETTR, founded by Trump ally Jason Miller.
"I want you guys to stay focused," said Mr Bannon while a demonstrator standing behind him held a sign that read "Coup Plotter."
"This is all noise," he added, while also touting his own podcast.
Mr Bannon was indicted on one contempt count for refusing to appear for a deposition before the US House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the events surrounding the 6 January attack and a second count for refusing to produce documents.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000, the Justice Department said.
Mr Bannon is one of more than 30 people close to Mr Trump ordered by the committee to testify about the run-up to 6 January, when a mob of the former president's supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent formal congressional certification of his election loss to President Biden.
Mr Trump has sought to stonewall the Democratic-led committee, which is scrutinising his actions relating to the riot, and directed his former associates not to cooperate.
In defying his subpoena, Mr Bannon cited Mr Trump's insistence - already rejected by one judge - that he has a right to keep the requested material confidential under a legal doctrine called executive privilege.
Mr Bannon, a prominent figure in right-wing media circles, was an architect of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential victory and served as White House chief strategist in 2017.
The former Goldman Sachs Group banker and Navy veteran has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad.
Mr Bannon separately was charged last year with defrauding donors to a private fund-raising effort to boost Mr Trump's pledge to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.
He was pardoned by Mr Trump before the case could go to trial.
The House committee has said Mr Bannon made public statements suggesting he knew in advance about "extreme events" that would occur on 6 January when five people died.
Mr Bannon said on a 5 January podcast that "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow."
Shortly before the 6 January riot, Mr Trump gave a speech to supporters rallying near the White House repeating his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud and urging them to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell" to "stop the steal."
House investigators hope the charges against Mr Bannon will motivate other witnesses including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to testify.
Democrat Adam Schiff, a member of the select committee, reiterated its threat to pursue contempt charges against Mr Meadows, who on Friday refused to appear for a deposition, but said it wants to have the strongest possible case.
Mr Trump said in a statement on Sunday: "This Country has perhaps never done to anyone what they have done to Steve Bannon and they are looking to do it to others, also."
