Steve Bannon, a right-wing podcast host and former Donald Trump campaign official, was released from federal Bureau of Prisons custody just one week before the 2024 election. Bannon had been sentenced to four months in prison for defying subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee in 2022. Despite attempts to delay his sentence through appeals, Bannon was ordered to report to prison by July 1, 2022, and was convicted of contempt of Congress in July of that year.
During his trial, a Justice Department prosecutor accused Bannon of choosing allegiance to Trump over compliance with the law, as he refused to cooperate with the investigation into the Capitol attack on January 6. Bannon hosts the podcast “Bannon’s War Room,” which features guests who downplay the attack. Prior to serving his sentence, Bannon made false claims about election fraud and expressed pride in going to prison.
Bannon’s release coincided with Biden dropping out of the presidential race and Harris becoming the Democratic nominee. Despite not serving in the White House at the time of his subpoena, Bannon attempted to claim executive privilege to avoid testifying before the Jan. 6 committee. His last-minute agreement to testify was seen as an attempt to evade accountability, but he was ultimately convicted and his appeals were denied. Another former official, Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress and served a four-month sentence.
Bannon’s release raises questions about his influence on the upcoming election and the ongoing investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
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