Justices Reject Steve Bannon Bid to Delay Prison Sentence
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s bid to delay his four-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress.
The one-sentence order from the court does not explain the rationale for its decision, but also shows no evidence of dissent among the justices.
Instead, it merely keeps in place Monday’s deadline for the one-time Trump White House insider to report to prison.
That means, come Monday, Bannon will be the second Trump aide to serve time for defying a subpoena from the House Select Jan. 6 Committee.
The other aide to see the inside of a jail cell was Peter Navarro, a one-time trade advisor to Trump, who began his sentence in March after his emergency appeal to the Supreme Court failed.
Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress two years ago after he failed to appear for a deposition before the Jan. 6 panel and refused to turn over subpoenaed documents.
After he appealed his conviction, the trial court delayed his sentencing due to a federal law that allows defendants to remain free pending appeal, if that appeal presents a substantial legal question likely to result in a reversal or new trial.
Bannon learned in May that his first bid to stay out of jail failed, and the trial judge in his case lifted the stay on his sentencing and told him to report to jail on July 1.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
