Trump ally Steve Bannon to be released after serving four months in prison for contempt of Congress

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon is set to be released from prison Tuesday after serving a four-month sentence for failing to comply with a subpoena in a congressional investigation. US Capitol attack January 6, 2021

Bannon plans to leave the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, in the predawn hours and hold a news conference later in the day in Manhattan, his representatives said. He is also expected to resume work on his podcast on Tuesday.

Bannon, 70, reported to prison July 1 after the Supreme Court denied his request to delay his sentence while he appeals his conviction.

Jury found Bannon guilty in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to testify before a House committee on January 6, and the second for refusing to provide documents related to his participation in Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election . race.

When Bannon began serving his sentence in July, he called himself a “political prisoner.”

“I’m proud to go to prison,” he said at the time, adding that he was defending Attorney General Merrick Garland and the “corrupt” Justice Department.

Trump, a Republican, is seeking to reclaim the presidency in elections next week against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Division of the Federal Court of Appeal in May upheld Bannon’s conviction. Bannon is now asking the full appeals court to hear his case. His legal team argued that the congressional subpoena was invalid because Trump asserted executive privilege. But prosecutors say Bannon left the White House years ago and Trump never invoked executive privilege before the committee.

Bannon faces additional criminal charges in New York state court, alleging that he deceived donors who gave money to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. The trial in this case will begin in December.