Key Takeaways:
– Steve Bannon, former Trump’s strategist, released from prison early Tuesday.
– He served a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena concerning the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
– After his release, Bannon recorded a podcast episode, referred to himself a “political prisoner.”
– Despite his release, Bannon’s legal troubles continue; he still faces charges of defrauding donors in a 2022 NY State case.
– Even if Trump wins the forthcoming elections, he cannot pardon Bannon in the NY case due to state-level jurisdiction limitations.
Ex-Trump Strategist Bannon Emerges from Prison
Steve Bannon, the infamous right-wing influencer, was released from federal prison on early Tuesday morning. The former White House chief strategist for Trump, who later turned to becoming a podcaster, has served a four-month sentence. Bannon was convicted of defying a subpoena issued by a congressional committee inspecting the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. At 70-years-old, Bannon was quite outspoken before reporting for his sentence on July 1, issuing that he was “proud to go to prison.”
However, Bannon tried quickly to have his sentence shortened or put on hold. Even two weeks before his release, his pleas echoed inside prison walls. Despite his efforts, Bannon was incarcerated for four months at FCI Danbury in Connecticut, following his conviction in July 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress.
Battles with Congressional Committees
His indictment was subsequent to his refusal to comply with subpoenas. The subpoenas were from House Jan.6, select committee investigators seeking to check Bannon’s communications with then-President Donald Trump following the chaotic 2020 presidential election.
On early Tuesday, moments after his release, Bannon recorded a podcast episode. He didn’t shy away from calling himself a “political prisoner.” Bannon stated with conviction, “The four months in federal prison, not only didn’t break me, it empowered me. I am more enthusiastic and focused than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Charged Again
However, Bannon’s troubles with the law are far from over. Even though he’s stepped out of one cell, another case awaits him in New York State. Bannon found himself accused of swindling donors for a “We Build the Wall” fundraiser that pledged erecting a part of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The charges include conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud. Bannon, however, holds strong, entering a not guilty plea.
Bannon is no stranger to the courtrooms. He was previously convicted in a somewhat similar federal case in 2020. However, Trump, as one of his last acts as president, pardoned Bannon. But things might not go as smoothly this time.
Though Trump plans to run for president again, even if he is elected, he will have no jurisdiction to pardon Bannon in the New York case. The case is a state-level proceeding, hence out of reach for any presidential pardons. Bannon’s future, thus, remains uncertain as he battles on, both in the courtrooms and the political sphere.