Steve Bannon was given a short window of time on Thursday, July 1st, by a federal judge to surrender to prison. This will allow the former strategist to Donald Trump to seek intervention from a higher court. After neglecting to produce records and evidence to the House Select committee looking into the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress in 2022. He received a four-month prison sentence. Carl Nichols, the federal judge overseeing the case, had first put the sentence on hold while Bannon challenged the conviction. But after a DC Circuit Court of Appeals panel unanimously dismissed numerous of Bannon’s arguments to the case last month, prosecutors requested Nichols to promptly send Bannon to prison to start serving his sentence. Nichols stated on Thursday that he didn’t think his justification for halting Bannon’s sentencing “exists any longer” in light of the appeals court decision. The Trump-appointed judge stated that he came to the conclusion that he was able to release Bannon from prison while the case is still being appealed. Bannon’s defense lawyers contended in documents submitted prior to Thursday’s hearing that the Nichols cannot imprison him before giving him time to consider all of his appeals, including one before the US Supreme Court. “Until the appeals process has completed its entirety, there is no basis for considering the removal of the stay of the sentence pending appeal,” the Bannon team stated. White House adviser Peter Navarro, another member of Trump’s closest circle found guilty in 2023 for refusing to take part in the House January 6 investigation, is presently serving a four-month prison sentence.
