Steve Bannon to Begin Prison Sentence for Contempt of Congress

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon is set to report to a federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to begin serving a four-month sentence for contempt charges after defying a subpoena related to the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack.

Bannon had remained free for nearly two years while appealing his sentence. However, a judge ordered him to report to prison after an appeals court upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court recently rejected Bannon’s last-minute appeal to delay his sentence.

Bannon was found guilty by a jury on two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to testify before the Jan. 6 House Committee and another for failing to provide documents related to his involvement in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Bannon’s defense attorneys argued that the case raised significant issues for the Supreme Court, particularly around the assertion of executive privilege by Trump. They contended that Bannon’s previous lawyer believed the subpoena was invalid because Trump had claimed executive privilege. Prosecutors countered, noting that Bannon had left the White House years before and that Trump had never formally invoked executive privilege before the committee.

While Bannon’s appeal continues, Republican House leaders have supported efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the Jan. 6 committee and the subpoena Bannon received.

In a related case, former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro was also convicted of contempt of Congress and began serving his four-month sentence in March after the Supreme Court declined to delay it.

Additionally, Bannon faces criminal charges in New York state court, accused of defrauding donors who contributed to the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud. This trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.