Supreme Court Denies Bannon’s Appeal; Prison Starts Monday

Steve Bannon, a former advisor to Donald Trump, faces a prison sentence starting Monday after the Supreme Court denied his final attempt to appeal his contempt of Congress conviction. This decision concludes his latest legal battle, following a string of setbacks over several months.

The Supreme Court unanimously turned down Bannon’s request to delay his prison term while he pursued further appeals. This ruling came just a week after Bannon sought the Court’s intervention to pause his sentence, arguing that he had been wrongfully held in contempt for defying a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon’s defense team had contended that his refusal to comply with the subpoena was protected by executive privilege and that he had been advised by his attorney not to respond to the congressional demand. However, the federal appeals court rejected these arguments in May, ruling that Bannon understood the subpoena’s requirements but chose not to appear or provide any documents.

Following this rejection, Bannon’s appeal against his conviction was denied, and a federal judge ordered him to report to prison by July 1. This sentence requires Bannon to serve four months behind bars for his failure to respond to the subpoena, and he has also been fined $6,500.

In an effort to avoid serving his sentence, Bannon’s legal team argued last month that his prison term should be postponed. Despite their previous appeal being dismissed at the federal level, they argued that he could still take his case to the D.C. Circuit Court or the Supreme Court. They also asserted that Bannon would not pose a flight risk or endanger public safety if released.

Steve Bannon, known for his role as the former chair of Breitbart News, was a key figure in Trump’s administration, serving as White House chief strategist after Trump’s election in 2016. Bannon’s position was abolished less than eight months into Trump’s term. Following his departure from the administration, Bannon continued to support Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent. These claims contributed to the January 6th “Stop the Steal” rally, which eventually led to the Capitol riots and an insurrection.

In the aftermath of the riots, the House January 6th Select Committee accused Bannon of playing a significant role in instigating the violence by endorsing Trump’s false claims. The Committee issued a subpoena for Bannon’s testimony, which he failed to comply with. As a result, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. indicted him in April 2022 for his noncompliance. In October 2022, Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay a $6,500 fine for contempt of Congress.

Bannon’s ongoing legal challenges have highlighted his contentious relationship with the January 6th investigation and his continued defiance of legal orders. His prison sentence marks a significant development in his lengthy legal struggle and further underscores the legal and political ramifications of his actions related to the January 6th events.