The Supreme Court has denied Stephen K. Bannon’s request to delay his prison reporting deadline, leaving the Donald Trump political strategist facing imprisonment for his contempt of Congress conviction. Bannon, who failed to raise substantial legal questions in his appeal, had sought an emergency stay but was rejected by lower courts and now the highest court in the land. Despite his attorney’s confidence in a reversal of his conviction, Bannon is set to turn himself in to a federal prison on July 1, while maintaining his innocence and arguing for his right to campaign for the upcoming 2024 election.
As a top advisor to the President Trump campaign, Bannon’s legal team contended that he should be allowed to participate in the campaign and engage in policy discussions, especially with the looming election on the horizon. However, the Solicitor General argued that Bannon did not meet the criteria for an exception to the law and should start serving his sentence as prescribed by the court. The court’s decision is in line with previous rulings, including the rejection of a similar request from Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro, who is set to complete a four-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress.
Both Bannon and Navarro argued that they were protected by executive privilege and could not testify before the House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack. However, judges found that unlike other Trump aides, they did not receive specific directives from the former president to ignore subpoenas, undermining their claims of privilege. Bannon’s legal troubles do not end with his contempt conviction, as he also faces financial penalties from a New York state judge related to a separate criminal case involving fraud allegations.
