Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has been ordered to report to prison by 1 July to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. This decision comes after years of legal battles, with an appeals court recently upholding his conviction for refusing to testify before a committee investigating the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
Bannon, known for his right-wing views and close ties to former President Trump, has vehemently denied any criminal wrongdoing. His lawyer criticized the ruling as a “horrible decision” and vowed to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
In a defiant statement outside the courthouse, Bannon declared, “There’s not a prison built or a jail built that will ever shut me up.” He portrayed the legal challenges against him as an attempt to silence the “Maga movement,” referencing Trump’s campaign slogan.
Bannon argued that he was following legal advice in refusing to testify before Congress, citing Trump’s invocation of executive privilege. However, the appeals court rejected this defense, stating that it “runs headlong into settled law.”
Despite the looming prison sentence, Bannon and his lawyer remain determined to fight the conviction. Another former Trump aide, Peter Navarro, has already served time for a similar offense, highlighting the ongoing legal battles faced by individuals connected to the former president.
