DOJ Urges Supreme Court to Deny Bannon's Bid to Stay Out of Prison
Submitted by MAGA Student
Posted 2 days ago
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged the Supreme Court to deny Steve Bannon's bid to stay out of prison, arguing that the former Trump adviser should begin serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.
Bannon was convicted in July 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee. He was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022, but the sentence was stayed pending appeals.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote that Bannon's case is similar to that of another former Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, who was also convicted of contempt of Congress and sentenced to four months in prison. Navarro is currently serving his sentence after reporting to prison in March.
Prelogar argued that Bannon's case is "easily distinguishable" from Navarro's, as Bannon had engaged in discussions with the House Jan. 6 committee about his subpoena and related privilege issues. However, the DOJ maintains that Bannon's conviction should stand and that he should begin serving his sentence.
Bannon responded to the DOJ's filing in a brief later on Wednesday, attempting to draw a distinction between himself and Navarro. Bannon's lawyer, Trent McCotter, argued that Bannon had relied in good faith on his attorney's advice to ignore the House Jan. 6 committee's subpoena based on a potential assertion of executive privilege.
However, as prosecutors noted in their previous sentencing memo, Bannon had long been out of the White House by the time period the House committee was interested in. The committee was investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and remain in power in the lead-up to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who has worked to undermine the work of the Jan. 6 committee, filed an amicus briefing with the Supreme Court in which he argued that Bannon's conviction was the result of an "invalid" prosecution. House Republican leadership also announced that they would file an amicus brief in Bannon's case before the D.C. Circuit.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, who was a member of the Jan. 6 committee, called the House Republicans' move "shameful" and said their forthcoming briefing "isn't worth the paper that it's posted on."
The Supreme Court could rule on Bannon's appeal at any time. If the court denies Bannon's bid to stay out of prison, he will be required to report to prison by next Monday.
This case is significant as it highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding the Jan. 6 committee's investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The committee has faced resistance from some Trump allies, including Bannon and Navarro, who have refused to comply with subpoenas.
The DOJ's stance in this case also underscores the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for their actions, regardless of their political affiliations.
Sources:
yahoo.com
nbcnews.com
courtlistener.com
Bannon was convicted in July 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee. He was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022, but the sentence was stayed pending appeals.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote that Bannon's case is similar to that of another former Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, who was also convicted of contempt of Congress and sentenced to four months in prison. Navarro is currently serving his sentence after reporting to prison in March.
Prelogar argued that Bannon's case is "easily distinguishable" from Navarro's, as Bannon had engaged in discussions with the House Jan. 6 committee about his subpoena and related privilege issues. However, the DOJ maintains that Bannon's conviction should stand and that he should begin serving his sentence.
Bannon responded to the DOJ's filing in a brief later on Wednesday, attempting to draw a distinction between himself and Navarro. Bannon's lawyer, Trent McCotter, argued that Bannon had relied in good faith on his attorney's advice to ignore the House Jan. 6 committee's subpoena based on a potential assertion of executive privilege.
However, as prosecutors noted in their previous sentencing memo, Bannon had long been out of the White House by the time period the House committee was interested in. The committee was investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and remain in power in the lead-up to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who has worked to undermine the work of the Jan. 6 committee, filed an amicus briefing with the Supreme Court in which he argued that Bannon's conviction was the result of an "invalid" prosecution. House Republican leadership also announced that they would file an amicus brief in Bannon's case before the D.C. Circuit.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, who was a member of the Jan. 6 committee, called the House Republicans' move "shameful" and said their forthcoming briefing "isn't worth the paper that it's posted on."
The Supreme Court could rule on Bannon's appeal at any time. If the court denies Bannon's bid to stay out of prison, he will be required to report to prison by next Monday.
This case is significant as it highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding the Jan. 6 committee's investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The committee has faced resistance from some Trump allies, including Bannon and Navarro, who have refused to comply with subpoenas.
The DOJ's stance in this case also underscores the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for their actions, regardless of their political affiliations.
Sources:
yahoo.com
nbcnews.com
courtlistener.com
