Appeals court rejects Steve Bannon's request to delay prison sentence

A United States court of appeals on Thursday rejected Steve Bannon's request to delay the start of his prison sentence, ruling that he must report to serve the contempt of Congress sentence on July 1.

Bannon was sentenced to four months in a low-security prison in October of 2022, after he was convicted on two counts of contempt-of-Congress by a jury, for failing to comply with a Congressional subpoena in front of the House January 6 committee. But his report date was delayed after he filed multiple appeals.

Two of the three judges in the appeals court rejected the bid to delay the prison sentence. But judge Justin Walker, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, dissented and claimed that Bannon was contesting a "close" precedent, and should be allowed to remain out of prison while he appeals the verdict to the Supreme Court, according to CNN. .

His trial judge originally ruled that Bannon could delay his start date while he appeals the conviction, but lifted the pause on the start date earlier this month after a D.C. Circuit court upheld the guilty verdict.

Bannon has recently increased his rhetoric against the Justice Department and FBI, claiming that if Trump returns to the Oval Office in November then he would "take apart" the FBI. Bannon's attorneys have claimed that the Biden administration is trying to silence their client, who hosts a popular podcast. 

“The government seeks 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 important campaign issues,” his attorneys said in a court filing last week.

Prosecutors in the case countered that Bannon does not get "special treatment" because of his popularity, and that his role as a political commentator cannot be a factor in when he starts the prison sentence.

“Bannon cannot reconcile his claim for special treatment with the bedrock principle of equal justice under the law,” prosecutors said in a 25-page court filing on Monday.

Bannon will now serve his sentence at the low security prison camp in Danbury, Connecticut.