Washington, D.C. – An ongoing legal battle involving former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and his defiance of subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee has now brought federal prosecutors to the Supreme Court. Nearly two years after Bannon’s conviction on contempt of Congress charges, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is urging the Court to enforce his four-month prison sentence.
The push for Bannon’s imprisonment comes after a similar case involving former Trump advisor Peter Navarro, who was also convicted on contempt of Congress charges and recently served his own four-month sentence. Despite Bannon’s last-minute plea to the Supreme Court to delay his prison term and pursue further appeals, a federal appeals court denied his request, escalating the situation to the high court’s attention.
Bannon’s conviction in July 2022 marked a culmination of legal battles surrounding his refusal to comply with the House Jan. 6 committee’s subpoenas. Despite his claims of good faith reliance on legal advice to ignore the subpoenas based on potential executive privilege, prosecutors argued that his actions were not justified given the timeframe of interest to the committee.
In response to the situation, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Republican from Georgia, filed a briefing with the Supreme Court alleging that Bannon’s conviction was the result of an “invalid” prosecution. House Republican leadership also took steps to support Bannon, raising questions about the legitimacy of the prosecution and Pelosi’s role in organizing the Select Committee.
However, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar criticized the Republican support for Bannon, calling it “shameful.” Aguilar dismissed their efforts as lacking substance and merely attempting to undermine the work of the Jan. 6 committee. Amidst these political tensions, the legal battle surrounding Bannon’s prison sentence continues to unfold in the highest court of the land.