Trump ally Steve Bannon reports to prison following contempt conviction

Washington — Steve Bannon, an influential Donald Trump ally, arrived at a prison on Monday to serve a four-month sentence after he was convicted for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the January 6 2021 US Capitol attack.

Bannon arrived at a low-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, and spoke to reporters and a cheering group of supporters. He called himself a “political prisoner”.

“I’m proud of going to prison today,” Bannon said. “I have not only no regrets, I’m proud of what I did.”

Trump is the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the November US election. The sentence could keep Bannon imprisoned almost to election day. Inmates in federal prison do not have access to the internet or social media, making it difficult for Bannon to communicate with fans of his War Room podcast.

Bannon on Friday lost a last-ditch effort to stay out of prison when the Supreme Court rejected his request to delay his sentence while he exhausts the appeals process for his conviction.

He was sentenced to four months after being convicted in 2022 of two misdemeanour counts of contempt of Congress. He was charged after he refused to turn over documents or testify to a Democratic-led House of Representatives committee investigating the Capitol riot by Trump supporters who had sought to prevent congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election win.

Bannon was a key adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and then served as his White House chief strategist during 2017, before a clash which was patched up.

Bannon has played an instrumental role in right-wing media. 

He initially was allowed to delay starting his prison term while he appealed his conviction to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The DC Circuit ultimately upheld his conviction, prompting judge Carl Nichols to order Bannon to report to prison.

Bannon will not be the first former top official from Trump’s White House to go to prison for refusing to co-operate with the committee. Peter Navarro, a former Trump trade adviser, reported to prison in March after being given a four-month sentence. The Supreme Court declined Navarro’s request to remain free during his appeal.

Trump in 2021 pardoned Bannon on federal criminal charges accusing him of swindling Trump supporters of cash donated to finance building a wall on the US-Mexico border. Bannon was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and defrauding Trump and is awaiting trial.

Reuters