Steve Bannon launches a last-ditch effort to avoid going to jail for defying January 6 subpoena

Steve Bannon on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to let him stay out of prison while he makes a new attempt to overturn a two-year-old conviction for criminal contempt of Congress.

Donald Trump’s former chief strategist will report to prison authorities on July 1, following a ruling in his case last week.

But he launched an 11th attempt to stave off his four-month declaration by asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse that order.

In a 36-page emergency motion, his legal team argues that jail time would prevent him from working on the election.

“The government is seeking to imprison Mr. Bannon for the four-month period leading up to the November election, when millions of Americans look to him for information on key campaign issues,” wrote Trent McCotter, one of Bannon’s attorneys.

“This would also effectively prevent Mr. Bannon from serving as a meaningful advisor in the ongoing national campaign.”

Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison after a jury found him guilty in 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to appear before the House of Representatives investigation into the Jan. 6 attack and for refusing to hand over documents .

However, Judge Carl Nichols allowed him to remain free while he appealed the conviction.

That changed a week ago after a higher court rejected Bannon’s appeal. Nichols said he did not believe the “original basis” for his deferred sentence still existed.

However, this did not exhaust Bannon’s appeal options. And his lawyers have asked for a decision by June 18 so they can take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.

‘This is a landmark case. The plaintiff pursued a new and aggressive theory of liability and the case received international attention,” McCotter wrote.

“If the panel decision stands, there will be far-reaching consequences, including concerns about the separation of powers.

“Before Mr. Bannon’s prosecution, it had been 50 years since the government convinced a jury to convict someone of failing to adequately respond to a congressional subpoena — and there has certainly been no shortage of litigation over subpoenas in that time.” the Congres.’

Tear gas is unleashed into a crowd of protesters, one of whom carries a Confederate battle flag reading “Come and Take It,” during clashes with Capitol Police during a rally to oppose the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election by the U.S. Congress dispute. at the US Capitol Building in Washington, USA, January 6, 2021

Bannon was convicted of failing to comply with a Jan. 6 subpoena from the House of Representatives committee

Another former Trump aide, economic adviser Peter Navarro, is currently serving a four-month sentence in a Florida prison after being convicted of similar charges. Navarro helped promote a plan he called the “Green Bay Sweep” that became part of Trump’s election efforts.

Bannon has filed a defense of counsel, saying he relied on an attorney’s advice when he failed to comply with a congressional subpoena. Trump also tried to make such an argument, citing Michael Cohen’s advice in the Stormy Daniels payout.

Bannon helped lead meetings in a strategic “war room” at Washington’s Willard Hotel, where key campaign figures gathered.

“I have great lawyers, and if we have to, we’ll go all the way to the Supreme Court,” Bannon said outside court last week after being sentenced to prison.

“There’s nothing that can shut me up and nothing that can shut me up. There is no prison built or built that will ever silence me,” he said, as a protester held up a “Lock Them Up” sign.

“They’re not going to silence Trump. They’re not going to silence Navarro. They’re not going to silence Bannon, and they’re certainly not going to silence MAGA,” he said.