The Justice Department requests a federal judge to commence the imprisonment of former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.
A district court judge in the US, Carl Nichols, who had presided over Bannon's case, had temporarily halted his sentence while Bannon's appeal against his conviction played out. In July 2022, Bannon was found guilty by a jury of two counts of contemptuous behavior against Congress for disobeying a subpoena from the House January 6 investigation panel investigating the 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Bannon's sentence would not be enforced unless he could demonstrate that "the appeal is not about delay and raises a question of law or fact with a high chance of reversal." According to the Department of Justice, they argued in their court file that "the appeal is not about delay and raises a question of law or fact with a high chance of reversal."
However, the recent ruling by the appeals court was not in favor of Bannon, rejecting all his legal arguments, including the main one about the necessary mental state required to be convicted of contempt of Congress.
The unanimous verdict from the judicial panel was considered a victory for Congress, implying that others who disregard Congressional subpoenas could potentially face similar consequences in the future.
Although the specific date for Bannon to report to jail has not yet been declared.
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The Department of Justice maintains that Bannon's appeal does not serve as a delay tactic and has a substantial chance of raising a question of law or fact. In the court file submitted by the Department of Justice, this argument is explicitly made.
Source: edition.cnn.com
