Trump’s ally Steve Bannon requests Supreme Court to delay prison sentence

Steve Bannon, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump, has petitioned the Supreme Court to delay his impending prison sentence as he continues to contest his conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon’s plea comes after a federal appeals court panel denied his request to avoid starting his four-month prison sentence by July 1. The emergency application, addressed to Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles urgent appeals from Washington, D.C., seeks relief just before the court’s summer recess.

Bannon was convicted nearly two years ago on two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to testify before the January 6 House Committee and another for failing to provide documents related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. His lawyer, David Schoen, argues that the case involves significant constitutional issues warranting Supreme Court review. Schoen emphasized that Bannon’s incarceration would prevent the high court from addressing these issues in time.

Bannon’s defense claims he did not ignore the subpoena but was negotiating with the committee when charged. His previous attorney advised that the subpoena was invalid due to Trump’s assertion of executive privilege, which the committee rejected.

In their court filings, Bannon’s attorneys also argued that there is a “strong public interest” in allowing him to remain free as he is a key adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign. The U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had delayed Bannon’s prison term during his appeal but ordered him to surrender after the appeals court upheld his convictions.

A similar request by another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, was denied by the Supreme Court in March, leading Navarro to serve his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. Courts have consistently rejected the executive privilege defense, determining that Navarro could not prove Trump’s invocation of it.

In addition to his federal convictions, Bannon faces separate criminal charges in New York for allegedly defrauding donors in a scheme related to building a wall along the U.S. southern border. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges, including money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud, with that trial delayed until at least September.