Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon is set to begin his four-month prison sentence on Monday after being found guilty of contempt of Congress charges related to the investigation into the US Capitol attack. Bannon had been allowed to remain free while appealing his conviction, but the appeals court panel recently upheld his contempt charges, leading to the order for him to report to prison. The Supreme Court denied his last-minute appeal, leaving him with no further legal recourse.
Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress. The first count was for refusing to participate in a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee, while the second count was for failing to provide documents related to his involvement in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Defense attorneys argued that the subpoena was invalid due to Trump’s assertion of executive privilege, but prosecutors countered that Bannon had already left the White House and Trump had not invoked executive privilege before the committee.
While Bannon’s appeal continues, Republican House leaders have expressed support for challenging the legitimacy of the Jan. 6 committee, effectively questioning the validity of the subpoena issued to Bannon. Another former Trump aide, Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress and began serving his four-month sentence in March after the Supreme Court rejected his request for a delay.
In addition to the contempt charges, Bannon is facing separate criminal charges in New York state court. He is accused of defrauding donors who contributed to a project aimed at building a wall along the US-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy, fraud, and other offenses. The trial for these charges has been postponed until at least the end of September.
