In breaking news, the Justice Department has made a firm recommendation to the Supreme Court to deny former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s request to avoid prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction. According to the Biden administration, Bannon did not meet the necessary standard to justify such an exception. A federal judge recently ruled that Bannon must surrender himself by July 1 to commence a four-month sentence.
Bannon, known for his role as a conservative podcast host and former strategist for Donald Trump, had petitioned the Supreme Court last week to halt his impending prison sentence. This move echoes a similar unsuccessful attempt by another former Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, in seeking leniency from the conservative high court.
Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar emphasized Bannon’s noncompliance with a subpoena, stating that he failed to produce any requested documents or appear for a scheduled deposition. Prelogar asserted that Bannon could not meet the stringent criteria required to delay the commencement of his sentence.
Notably, Bannon was convicted by a federal jury in Washington, DC, two years ago for failing to comply with a subpoena issued by the US House’s January 6, 2021, investigation. Despite his staunch support for Trump, Bannon claimed that his actions were guided by legal counsel’s advice to withhold responses until the issue of executive privilege was addressed by lawmakers.
As part of his sentence, Bannon is expected to report to the low-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, as opposed to the minimum-security prison camp he had requested. This development marks a significant turn of events in the ongoing legal battle surrounding Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction.
