“There’s not a prison built or jail built that will shut me up.”
Last month, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies lost his appeal to stay out of prison. Last night, he did yet again.
But he still has one last card to play.
A Glimmer Of Hope?
On May 10, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld Steve Bannon’s conviction for criminal contempt of Congress.
Bannon’s October 2022 conviction came from his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot. The former White House chief strategist received four months in prison and a fine of $6,500.
He is now required to serve this sentence unless the Supreme Court decides to intervene.
After the May ruling from the D.C. Circuit, a three-judge panel from the same court ruled last night that Bannon’s attempt to delay the start of his July 1 prison sentence was without merit.
The former Trump adviser and conservative media personality will start serving a prison sentence in 10 days unless something drastic happens.
And Forget About Club Fed
Bannon will be housed with the general population at FCI Danbury instead of at a cushy “Club Fed.”
The Washington Examiner explains:
Former President Donald Trump’s chief strategist is set to begin a four-month prison sentence on July 1. A pending criminal case against Bannon in New York is blocking the former adviser’s ability to serve time in a cushy “Club Fed” prison, the most comfortable type of facility available for prisoners. Instead, Bannon will be imprisoned in Danbury, Connecticut, where he will likely be housed with other incarcerated people.
Offenders such as Bannon convicted of first-time, non-violent, white-collar crimes are typically not required to serve jail time. According to some legal experts, Bannon’s sentencing was a break from historical precedent.
Bannon has argued he did not break the law because he was covered by Trump’s assertion of executive privilege and was listening to his lawyers when he declined to provide testimony or documents to the committee.
The Jan. 6 committee has come under fire as some critics question its handling of what happened during the Capitol protest. House Republicans, including Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), have slammed the committee for cherry-picking evidence to suit its version of what happened on Jan. 6 and illegally deleting information collected during its investigation. Earlier this month, Congress released video footage that recorded then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) taking full responsibility for the breakdown in security at the Capitol.
The panel’s Thursday night decision to reject Bannon’s bid to delay his prison sentence was a 2-1 vote.
Judges Cornelia Pillard (nominated by Barack Obama) and Bradley Garcia (nominated by Joe Biden) formed the majority, but their opinion was not signed.
Judge Justin Walker, appointed by Donald Trump, dissented. He argued that the legal precedent Bannon is contesting presents a “close” question.
Walker believed Bannon should be free during his appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge what he sees as significant constitutional issues.
Supreme Court Showdown Ahead
Bannon has stated that he plans to fight his conviction and prison sentence all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
The prospects for a successful appeal to the Supreme Court seem slim, as the court did not intervene in a similar case involving Peter Navarro.
Nevertheless, Bannon told reporters outside federal court in D.C., “I’ve got great lawyers, and we’re going to go all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to.”
“There’s not a prison built or jail built that will shut me up,” he added.
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Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.
