Federal Judge Orders Bannon to Begin Serving Prison Term by July 1

Steve Bannon, a close ally of former President Trump, has been ordered by a federal judge in Washington, D.C. to go to prison starting on July 1. This decision was made because Bannon did not comply with a Congressional subpoena related to the January 6 Capitol riot. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for this. He lost an appeal in May against his conviction for contempt of Congress. Bannon has not yet responded to the judge's ruling. He argued that he followed his legal team's advice and did not mean to break the law. However, the judge stated that following legal advice is not a valid defense. The Department of Justice had requested a six-month prison term and a $200,000 fine for Bannon. After the sentencing, Bannon said he respected the judge's decision and had been cooperative throughout the legal process. Bannon's defense team claimed that his previous lawyer advised him not to respond to the subpoena, citing executive privilege. They argued that Bannon should not be sent to prison while his appeals are ongoing. Another Trump aide, Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress for not cooperating with the committee due to executive privilege being invoked by Trump.