Disregard for Congress
Judge sets date for Bannon to begin prison sentence
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The right-wing populist Bannon was Trump's chief strategist during his time in the White House. He later failed to appear before a committee of inquiry into the storming of the Capitol and was convicted for doing so. The 70-year-old is now reacting in a decidedly combative manner to the announcement of his prison date.
Former US President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon is due to begin his four-month prison sentence in July. A judge has ordered the 70-year-old to report on July 1. The federal judge granted a request from prosecutors. Bannon was sentenced to prison in October 2022 for contempt of Congress, but remained free pending an appeal. His appeal was then rejected by a federal appeals court four weeks ago. However, Bannon is allowed to apply for a postponement of his prison sentence.
Bannon reacted combatively to the current order for him to be sent to prison: “There is nothing that can silence me and nothing that will silence me,” he said in Washington. No prison has been built “that will ever silence me.” He has great lawyers and will take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. Bannon also predicted that Trump would win a “landslide” in the presidential election in November.
The former head of the ultra-right website “Breitbart” was convicted for refusing to comply with a summons from the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. By storming the Capitol building in Washington, fanatical Trump supporters wanted to prevent the election victory of current President Joe Biden against Trump from being formally certified there. Bannon also refused to present documents related to his involvement in Trump's attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Fired by Trump in 2017
Another key Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress and has been serving a four-month prison sentence in the US state of Florida since March. Navarro is the highest-ranking former government official to be convicted in connection with Trump's efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.
Trump himself has been charged in two criminal cases for these attempts to influence the election, in a federal court in Washington and by the Georgia state judiciary. However, it is unclear when trials might take place in these two cases. Trump wants to run against Biden again in the election on November 5.
Bannon was a central figure in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. After Trump's election victory, he became chief strategist in the White House. Trump fired him in August 2017, however. The two right-wing populists then grew closer again. Bannon also maintains contacts with ultra-right groups in Europe.
