Appeals Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Trump Adviser

Bannon's Conviction Stands

Last week, the Appeals Court upheld the criminal conviction of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena to appear before the House Democrats' January 6 Committee. The Justice Department under President Joe Biden has now requested that the judge overseeing Bannon’s contempt of Congress case order him to begin his 4-month prison sentence.

Appeal Rejected

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Bannon’s appeal on all grounds last week. In their filing on Tuesday, prosecutors stated that there is no longer a 'substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial.'

Bannon's Reaction

Upon hearing the news, Bannon expressed his shock to ABC News, stating, "I’m shocked they want to silence the voice of MAGA."

Sentence Postponed

Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for contempt in October 2022. However, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols agreed to postpone the jail term while Bannon appealed the decision.

Court's Opinion

The three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals stated in its opinion on Friday, "We conclude that none of the information sought in the trial subpoenas was relevant to the elements of the contempt offense, nor to any affirmative defense Bannon was entitled to present at trial." The judges affirmed the conviction and sentence.

Other Trump Advisers

Bannon is the second Trump adviser that the DOJ has sought to jail. White House adviser Peter Navarro began serving his 4-month prison term in March for also refusing to comply with a subpoena from the January 6 Committee.

Biden DOJ's Efforts

The Biden DOJ’s efforts to jail Trump and his advisers appear to be an attempt to improve Biden's polling, who’s currently trailing Trump in most battleground states despite the legal actions against him.

Contempt of Congress

Interestingly, the House Oversight Committee is moving to hold DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over his refusal to provide audio files of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with Biden despite a subpoena from the committee.

Unlikely Consequences

Even if Garland is successfully held in contempt of Congress, it’s unlikely he’d actually be held accountable because he’s a top Democrat and Biden official. Similarly, Hunter Biden defied a congressional subpoena to appear privately for a deposition before Republican investigators who have been digging into his business dealings. GOP lawmakers’ efforts to move forward with contempt of Congress proceedings in January stalled out in the House.

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