Judge Orders Steve Bannon to Report to Prison by July 1
The Facts
US District Judge Carl Nichols ruled Thursday that former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon must surrender himself to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena.
Bannon, who was convicted of refusing to testify about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, was first sentenced in October 2022, alongside a $6.5K fine and lost his appeal last month. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had requested he receive six months in jail and a $200K fine.
The Spin
After he was convicted on two counts in a court of law, Bannon was graciously allowed to delay his inevitable and deserved prison sentence for years. In that time, he's turned what should be a clear case surrounding contempt of Congress into a pro-MAGA campaign circus. At least for the next four months, Bannon won't be allowed to manipulate any more elections.
What has happened to Bannon used to be limited to third-world, authoritarian regimes. Pres. Biden, whose son ignored a Congressional subpoena for months and faced no jail time, is targeting any influential member of the Trump movement to ensure he remains in power. Nothing about this case involves the rule of law — it's about punishing the right for supporting Biden's opponent.