WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid to delay a long-term prison sentence Trump rose Steve Bannon as he appeals his conviction for ignoring a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot.
Bannon has filed an emergency appeal after a judge ordered him to report to prison on July 1 for a four-month sentence for ignoring a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack The court previously denied a similar request from another Trump aide.
The court, as usual, rejected it without explanation. There were no identified dissenting opinions.
Defense attorneys have argued that the case raises issues that should be examined by the Supreme Court, including the belief by Bannon’s previous attorney that the subpoena was invalid because former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege. Prosecutors, however, say Bannon had left the White House years earlier and that Trump never invoked executive privilege before the committee.
A jury found Bannon guilty nearly two years ago of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for testimony before the House committee on Jan. 6 and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement with the Republican ex-president. efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols allowed Bannon to remain free while he appealed, but recently ordered him to report to jail after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The panel later rejected Bannon’s bid to avoid reporting to jail.
Bannon is expected to appeal his conviction to the full appeals court. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have joined the proceedings in claiming that the January 6 committee was improperly constituted. In doing so, they actually want to label the subpoena that Bannon received as unlawful.
Another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to begin serving his four-month sentence after the Supreme Court rejected his bid to have it stayed.
Bannon also faces criminal charges in New York state court, alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges, and that trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.
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Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this story.
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