Steve Bannon did not get the answer he was hoping for. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court said he must go to prison and begin serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress on Monday, despite the former Trump administration adviser’s last-minute request to be released while his case is on appeal.
above CNBC:
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a final attempt by the former Trump White House Advisor Steve Bannon avoid Report to prison next week while he appeals his conviction for disobeying a subpoena from a House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Bannon, 70, will begin a four-month prison sentence on Monday for contempt of Congress.
The Supreme Court in its unsigned, one-line command On Friday, Bannon said “Application for release pending appeal submitted to the Chief Justice [John Roberts] and forwarded by him to the court, is rejected.”
The Supreme Court has denied Steve Bannon’s request to remain free while appealing his contempt conviction. The full court denied the request. He must report to prison on July 1. Details TK pic.twitter.com/Gf606XDYfd
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 28, 2024
The decision came after an appeals court had already rejected a similar request in early June, as my colleague Bob Hoge wrote:
A federal appeals court in Washington DC has instructed Trump’s ally and host of the podcast “War Room“Steve Bannon’s attempt to delay his prison sentence while he appeals his conviction for contempt of Congress. Unless the former Trump adviser succeeds in getting the Supreme Court to intervene, he must report to prison on July 1 to begin his four-month sentence.
Bannon’s “crimes” consist of refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the J6 protests and subsequently despised for it.
Trump-nominated U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols earlier this month granted prosecutors’ request to send Bannon to prison after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit upheld his conviction.
Bannon’s lawyers had asked the appeals court to let him go free while he continues to fight the conviction and, if necessary, goes all the way to the Supreme Court.
Read more:
Two levels: Court rejects Steve Bannon’s request to postpone his prison sentence, must report for a four-month prison sentence on July 1
Attorney General Elizabeth Prelogar argued before the Supreme Court that Bannon’s lawyers would have to show that his case would be overturned on appeal, which may have been convincing enough for the justices to deny the motion.
U.S. Attorney General Elizabeth Prelogar told the judges this week that if Bannon were to avoid going to prison pending an appeal of his contempt of Congress conviction, he would have to show that his conviction was likely to be overturned. https://t.co/Ow9nYZV767
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 29, 2024
Until then, however, Bannon has a pretty busy schedule, as shown in this agenda shared by an X user:
WARROOM/BANNON
Sun. 9:00 am, This Week with George Stephanopoulos
Sun 8:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m., War Room: Special Edition
Monday, 10:00 a.m., War Room: Change of Command, Danbury Federal Penitentiary https://t.co/whnjZqT13n#Warroom @ThisWeekABC @jonkarl @OfficialFBOP pic.twitter.com/CUv6YOA2x7
— Tim Peck (@timothypeck) June 29, 2024
Does this mean he will air his podcast on Monday? from prison? That’s not entirely clear from the spelling.
However, we do know that one show is confirmed: Bannon will appear on ABC’s “This Week” this morning, in an interview with Jonathan Karl that is scheduled to air on Sunday:
Steve Bannon will appear on ABC’s “This Week” with Jonathan Karl on Sunday morning. Bannon says in this preview that he will be a “political prisoner” and has “no regrets.”pic.twitter.com/hUSmQcNm4F
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) June 29, 2024
In the preview clip, Karl asked Bannon how he felt about having to report to prison on Monday. Bannon railed against the political charges against him for refusing to speak before the January 6 committee and referred to himself as a “political prisoner,” but was still able to find a silver lining:
I am a political prisoner. And I feel great about it.
…
My voice will not be suppressed when I am there. I am a political prisoner of Nancy Pelosi and Merrick Garland. If I had to go to jail to finally get the House to move and delegitimize the illegitimate J6 Committee, then it is worth going to jail.
Read more:
Speaker Johnson and Republicans in the House of Representatives plan to file legal opinions in support of the appeal against Bannon
Conservative author Carol Swain wishes him well in a clip from his final podcast episode before his prison sentence on Friday. She added a line that will resonate with many – regardless of their opinion of Bannon:
“There, but by the grace of God I would be there.”
I stand with #SteveBannon in prayer and in his mission to expose evil and defend our great nation. Good will come from his unjust political imprisonment. https://t.co/apbDUisDtw— Dr. Carol M. Swain (@carolmswain) June 29, 2024
