Former Trump White House senior aide Steve Bannon’s criminal contempt of Congress conviction has now been upheld by a federal appeals court on Friday.
Bannon was convicted for his refusal to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by either testifying or providing documents.
Bannon’s appeals court rejection of his plea of not guilty was predicated on his attorney’s counsel discouraging him from complying with a subpoena issued by the House committee.
The decision rendered by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit increases the probability that Bannon, who was convicted of two counts of contempt, will be required to commence his four-month incarceration sentence in the near future.
By petitioning the entire judicial panel of the D.C. Circuit to reconsider his appeal, Bannon could potentially delay the imposition of his prison sentence. He could also petition the United States Supreme Court to review the ruling from Friday.
However, such requests generally encounter extremely low probabilities of success.
Bannon was found guilty of violating the subpoena issued by the House committee following a five-day trial in the U.S. District Court in Washington.
In anticipation of the result of his appeal, he has been allowed to remain free.
Violating the statute for which Bannon was convicted renders “willfully” neglecting to comply with a congressional subpoena a criminal offense.
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