Steve Bannon ordered to report to prison following Supreme Court's rejection of his appeal

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's last-minute attempt to avoid prison while appealing his contempt of Congress conviction was rejected by the Supreme Court on Friday. The court swiftly dismissed the case without any noted dissents. Bannon, a conservative podcast host and former strategist for Donald Trump, had requested the Supreme Court to pause his four-month prison sentence, which was ordered by a federal judge to begin on July 1. This decision came after another former Trump adviser, Peter Navarro, also failed to receive a break from the conservative high court. Bannon was convicted by a federal jury for not complying with a subpoena related to the US House's January 6, 2021, investigation. He argued that he was following his attorneys' advice to not respond to the subpoena until issues of executive privilege were resolved. However, the Justice Department stated that Bannon showed "total noncompliance" to the subpoena. Despite Bannon's efforts to delay his sentence, the Supreme Court's rejection means he must report to a low-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. The case against Bannon stemmed from his refusal to cooperate with the House Jan. 6 committee's request for documents and testimony regarding Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Bannon's lawyer claimed he was waiting for executive privilege issues to be resolved, but federal prosecutors argued that there was no valid claim of executive privilege in this case. The Supreme Court's decision marks the end of Bannon's legal options to avoid incarceration, as previous appeals were also unsuccessful. Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, who faced similar charges and was sentenced to four months in federal prison, is already serving his sentence. The Supreme Court's rejection of Bannon's appeal underscores the seriousness of contempt of Congress charges and the legal consequences for individuals who defy subpoenas from congressional committees. Bannon's case highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding the events of January 6, 2021, and the efforts to hold individuals accountable for their actions related to the Capitol attack.