Former Trump Aide Steve Bannon Ordered to Prison
Steve Bannon, ex-aide to former Pres. Donald Trump, Thursday was ordered to report to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena....
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Facts
- Steve Bannon, ex-aide to former Pres. Donald Trump, Thursday was ordered to report to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena.1
- Bannon, who was convicted of refusing to testify about the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol, in October 2022 was fined $6.5K and sentenced to prison. He lost his appeal last month.2
- Bannon was allowed to remain out of jail while on appeal, but after a three-judge appeals court panel dismissed his appeal last month, his stay was lifted.3
- The defense had argued that Bannon couldn't testify because Trump asserted executive privilege over the matter. Another former Trump aide, Peter Navarro, who also cited executive privilege, has been serving a four-month prison sentence since March.1
- The House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riots also referred former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and his deputy Dan Scavino for contempt charges, but the Justice Department declined to pursue those cases.4
- Although Bannon could appeal to the Supreme Court, the justices have already declined to hear Navarro's case. Navarro became the first American to serve prison time on contempt of Congress charges in over 50 years.5
Sources: 1Associated Press, 2FOX News, 3New York Times, 4wsj.com and 5Washington Post.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by The New Republic. Bannon has taken advantage of the court graciously allowing him to delay his inevitable and deserved prison sentence for years by turning his free time into a pro-MAGA campaign publicity stunt. At least for the next four months, Bannon will be held accountable for breaking the law and won't be able to manipulate any elections.
- Right narrative, as provided by X.com. What has happened to Bannon used to be limited to third-world, authoritarian regimes. Pres. Joe Biden is targeting yet another influential member of the Trump movement while he attempts to remain in power. Nothing about this case involves the rule of law — it's about punishing anyone who supports Biden's opponent.
