Steve Bannon, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has petitioned the Supreme Court to postpone his prison term while he contests his convictions for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol attack. This plea follows a federal appeals court panel's denial of his attempt to avoid reporting to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence. The request was directed to Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency appeals from Washington, D.C. courts.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had previously postponed Bannon's prison sentence as he pursued appeals but instructed him to surrender after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. Bannon was found guilty nearly two years ago on two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to participate in a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and the other for failing to provide documents related to his role in Trump's endeavors to challenge his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
Bannon and his attorney, David Schoen, have portrayed the case as politically driven, emphasizing that it raises significant constitutional issues that necessitate Supreme Court review. They argue that Bannon was not disregarding the subpoena but was still in discussions with the congressional committee when he was charged. His previous counsel contended that the subpoena was invalid due to Trump's assertion of executive privilege and the committee's refusal to allow a Trump lawyer to be present.
In legal filings, Bannon's legal team also asserted that there is a 'substantial public interest' in permitting him to remain free leading up to the 2024 election, as he plays a key role as an adviser to Trump's campaign. Another Trump aide, Peter Navarro, who was convicted of contempt of Congress, commenced serving his four-month sentence in March after the Supreme Court rejected his plea to delay the sentence. The courts dismissed Navarro's executive-privilege argument, determining that he could not substantiate Trump's invocation of it.
Bannon is additionally confronting criminal charges in a New York state court alleging that he deceived donors who contributed funds for a border wall project. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud. The trial for these allegations has been postponed until at least the end of September.
