Former Trump Advisor Steve Bannon Must Report to Prison by July 1 to Serve Four-Month Sentence for Contempt of Congress Conviction

Steve Bannon — who previously served as an advisor to former President Donald Trump (R) — was ordered by a federal judge Thursday to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving a four-month sentence.

Bannon was convicted nearly two years ago for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the events that took place on January 6, 2021.

Although Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in July of 2022 and received his sentence in October, the judge stayed his sentence while the case was pending on appeal.

The first count on which Bannon was convicted stemmed from his failure to provide a deposition to the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, while the second came as a result of his refusal to provide documents as requested.

Last month, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld this conviction.

This prompted federal prosecutors to file a motion requesting that U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols order Bannon to report to prison, arguing that there was “no legal basis” for the stay.

Bannon’s attorney David Schoen, on the other hand, argued that the stay ought to remain in place until the case is heard by the full appeals court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court.

Under Judge Nichols’ order, Bannon will be required to begin serving his sentence in less than a month unless a higher court takes up the case and issues a stay of its own.

“I do not believe the original basis for my stay exists any longer,” Nichols said with respect to his decision.

The judge went on to identify the panel’s “wholehearted” rejected Bannon’s arguments as a key factor in his ruling, appearing to agree with Prosecutor John Crabb’s assertion that it is “very unlikely” Bannon’s conviction will be thrown out.

After Nichols announced his ruling, Schoen reportedly got into a “passionate” exchange with the judge, calling the decision “contrary to our system of justice.”

“You’re sending a man to prison who thought he was complying with the law, we don’t do that in my system,” Schoen said.

“I think you should sit down,” Nichols responded.

Peter Navarro, who previously served as an economic aide to former President Trump, was also given a four-month prison term for failing to comply with a subpoena and reported to jail on March 19.

According to Bannon’s defense team, his attorney at the time, Robert Costello, advised that responding to the subpoena was impermissible because executive privilege had been raised and it was not Bannon’s prerogative to waive it.

Costello subsequently reached out to the committee to inform them that Bannon would comply with their subpoena if they were able to work out any privilege issues with the former president or, alternatively, if Bannon were ordered to appear by a court.

“In America, we do not criminally prosecute, let alone convict and send to prison people who not only don’t believe their conduct to be wrongful or in violation of the law, but, as in this case, people who follow the advice of their lawyers who tell them that the law does not permit them to comply with a congressional subpoena when executive privilege has been invoked,” Schoen reportedly said last month.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse Thursday, Bannon said that he and his legal team will “go all the way to the Supreme Court if [they] have to” in order to fight his conviction.

“I want to say something specific about the Justice Department,” Bannon said. “They’re not going to shut up Trump. They’re not going to shut up Navarro. They’re not going to shut up Bannon. And they’re certainly not going to shut up MAGA.”

“All of this is about one thing,” he continued. “This is about shutting down the MAGA movement, shutting down grassroots conservatives, shutting down President Trump.”

“There’s nothing that can shut me up and nothing that will shut me up. There’s not a prison built or jail built that will ever shut me up. All victory to MAGA,” Bannon concluded. “We’re going to win this. We’re going to win at the Supreme Court. And more importantly, we’re going to win on November 5.”