Steve Bannon, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has been ordered to report to prison by July 1, to serve a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from a congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
What Happened: U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued the order on Thursday, Reuters reported. This means Bannon, a prominent figure in Trump’s circle, will likely be incarcerated during a crucial period of the U.S. presidential campaign, as Trump faces off against Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
“All this is about one thing: shutting down the MAGA movement,” Bannon said, referring to the popular Trump slogan while talking to reporters outside the courthouse, according to the report.
Bannon, who was convicted in 2022 of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, has been unsuccessful in his attempts to overturn the conviction. He has indicated that he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, alleging that his prosecution is politically motivated.
Following the Jan. 6 attack, Bannon was part of a group of Trump advisers who sought to obstruct the formal certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The congressional panel suggested that Bannon may have had prior knowledge of the events planned for Jan. 6, 2021, when a group of Trump supporters breached the Capitol in an attempt to stop lawmakers from certifying the vote.
Why It Matters: This is not the first time Bannon has faced legal repercussions. In October 2022, he was sentenced to four months in federal prison and a $6,500 fine for criminal contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot. The judge rejected Bannon’s request for credit for acceptance of responsibility, which would have reduced his sentence.
It remains to be seen how Bannon’s incarceration will impact the 2024 election campaign, given his influential role in Trump’s circle.
Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin On Shutterstock.com
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.