Former Trump adviser Bannon reports to prison to begin sentence

Steve Bannon reported to prison Monday to start a four-month sentence over his contempt of Congress charges.

The Bureau of Prisons said that Bannon was officially in custody.

“I am a political prisoner,” Bannon said at a news conference before entering the federal prison in Danbury, Conn.

The Supreme Court rejected Bannon’s emergency appeal last week to delay his prison sentence, upholding Monday’s deadline for the onetime adviser of former President Trump to report to prison.

He was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022 for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He was allowed by a federal judge to delay his sentence for about two years as he appealed the case.

However, a federal appeals court upheld Bannon’s conviction in May. Judge Brad Garcia, writing for the three-judge of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, said a “witness cannot defend against a contempt of Congress charge based on an affirmative defense that they were able, but failed, to.”

Bannon becomes the second former Trump White House aide to serve time in prison in connection with defying a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee.

Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to Trump, began his four-month prison sentence in March after his emergency appeal at the Supreme Court also failed.

Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out as he serves his prison sentence. It is not likely to be ruled upon until he has already served his full term and been released.

The Associated Press contributed.

Updated at 12:27 p.m. EDT

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