Court denies Steve Bannon’s request to postpone prison term
Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Donald Trump, lost an emergency appeal to postpone his scheduled July 1 prison sentence. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decided 2-1 against Bannon, with the dissenting opinion coming from Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022 for defying a congressional subpoena from the January 6 Committee. Steve Bannon, once a key adviser to former President Donald Trump, faced legal repercussions for defying a congressional subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In October 2022, Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison after being convicted of contempt of Congress charges. This sentence came as a result of Bannon’s refusal to comply with the committee’s demands for documents and testimony, which were part of the broader effort to understand the events leading up to and during the Capitol riot.
Bannon sought to delay the start of his prison term through an emergency appeal, but this attempt was thwarted by a decision from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court, in a split decision, rejected Bannon’s appeal with a 2-1 vote. The dissent in the case was provided by Judge Justin Walker, an appointee of President Trump. Walker’s dissent highlights the ongoing debates and divisions within the judicial responses to cases stemming from the January 6 investigations.
The decision to deny Bannon’s request for postponement means that he is required to begin his prison sentence as scheduled unless any further legal maneuvers change his status. This case underlines the ongoing legal and political fallout from the January 6 events and the challenges faced by those subpoenaed in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The enforcement of the sentence against Bannon also serves as a precedent for how courts may address similar refusals to cooperate with congressional inquiries.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon lost an emergency appeal to delay his July 1 prison sentence.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against Bannon, with Judge Justin Walker, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, dissenting. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022 after defying a congressional subpoena by the Jan. 6 Committee.
The Department of Justice intervened earlier this week to ask the court to deny Bannon’s appeal for a delay.
“Bannon also cannot reconcile his claim for special treatment with the bedrock principle of equal justice under the law. Even-handed application of the bail statute requires Bannon’s continued detention,” it said in a filing.
Bannon’s lawyer argued in an emergency filing last week that he should remain out of prison because of his intention “to vigorously pursue his remaining appeals.”
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“Before the prosecution of Mr. Bannon, it had been 50 years since the government convinced a jury to convict someone for not adequately responding to a congressional subpoena—and there has certainly been no shortage of disputes over congressional subpoenas during that time,” the filing read. “Mr. Bannon intends to vigorously pursue his remaining appeals in this case and has retained experienced Supreme Court counsel. In the meantime, he asks this Court to allow him to remain on release.”
Bannon recently learned that he would be imprisoned in a low-security prison in Danbury, Connecticut, rather than the more comfortable minimum-security prison known as “Club Fed.”
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