
(Scypre.com) – Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been ordered by a federal judge to report to prison on July 1 to begin a four-month sentence. This decision comes after a higher court rejected his appeal against his conviction for defying subpoenas from the January 6 Committee.
Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in July 2022 for failing to comply with subpoenas from the committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. His sentencing had been delayed pending his appeal. However, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled on Thursday that the grounds for staying Bannon’s sentence were no longer valid following the appeals court’s decision to uphold the conviction. Despite this, Bannon retains the option to appeal Nichols’ ruling that mandates his imprisonment.
Initially sentenced in October 2022, Bannon’s four-month term mirrors the sentence currently being served by Peter Navarro, another former Trump adviser who also ignored a subpoena from the January 6 Committee.
During the 2022 trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston, now part of special counsel Jack Smith’s team, emphasized to the jurors that “the defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law.”
Following the upholding of Bannon’s conviction in May, federal prosecutors quickly moved to request Nichols to enforce Bannon’s prison reporting date. Prosecutors argued there was “no legal basis” to continue delaying the sentence after the appeal was denied.
Bannon’s defense team contended that the sentence should remain stayed pending further appeals to higher courts, including the Supreme Court. They suggested any postponement might work in Bannon’s favor if Trump is re-elected and decides to pardon him, as he did at the end of his presidency on January 20, 2021.
Bannon also faces separate state charges in New York, where he is accused of defrauding donors in a scheme to fund the construction of a wall along the southern U.S. border. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges, which echo federal charges for which Trump previously pardoned him shortly after the Capitol attack.
At the courthouse on Thursday, Bannon appeared unfazed, smiling as he passed through security and even engaging with supporters. Following Judge Nichols’ decision, Bannon maintained his composure, although his attorney, David Schoen, responded passionately, challenging the judge’s ruling.
Schoen argued that Bannon believed he was complying with the law and described the decision as “contrary to our system of justice.” Judge Nichols, however, maintained his stance, advising Schoen to accept the decision calmly.
Judge Nichols, appointed by Trump, has presided over several January 6-related cases. Notably, he is the judge who challenged the use of an obstruction of an official proceeding charge, a key element in many January 6 prosecutions, including that of Trump. This issue has reached the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in April. Additionally, Nichols recently sentenced a January 6 defendant to over six years in prison for assaulting law enforcement with bear spray, following a unique sting operation conducted via a dating app.