Steve Bannon, ally and advisor to former President Donald Trump, turned himself in to serve a four-month prison sentence Monday.
Bannon smiled as he left the black SUV, waiving at supporters and opponents, saying, “How are we doing gentlemen?,” News 12 Connecticut reported.
NOW: Steve Bannon arrives at Danbury federal prison, addressing supporters and protesters before turning himself in for a 4 mo sentence
— John Craven (@johncraven1) July 1, 2024
Bannon says being a “political prisoner” is worth it for the “House of Reps to reject the J6 committee” pic.twitter.com/Nb3LflRGxa
Speaking to reporters outside the prison, Bannon called himself a “political prisoner,” the Independent reported. He also said he was “proud of going to prison today,” USA Today reported.
Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena issued by the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Reuters reported.
He refused to give the panel documents or testify in front of the committee, saying he was acting on his attorneys’ advice, CNN reported.
The conviction was handed down in 2022, but Bannon appealed, going as far as to petition the Supreme Court to delay the sentence from being carried out during the appeals process.
Bannon will serve his sentence at a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, CNN reported. He is the second former Trump advisor to be held in prison for contempt of Congress. The first was Peter Navarro, who was also sentenced to four months behind bars. Navarro is scheduled to be released later this month.
In the days leading up to his surrender, Bannon took to his popular podcast, saying last week, “I’m going to be more powerful in prison than I am now.” He told CNN, “I‘m not going to be sitting there going, ‘Oh woe is me.’”
Despite his claims of retaining his political power in prison, he will not have access to the Internet, but will be able to send emails that don’t include attachments. Emails will be monitored and sent on a delay. Bannon will also have access the outside world via a wall-mounted telephone in limited, 15-minute increments.
Before surrendering to authorities, Bannon conducted one last broadcast of his “War Room” show, hosting two hours of the podcast from outside the prison before he said he would “walk across the street and surrender,” The New York Times reported. The show will be guest-hosted by Jack Posobiec over the next four months.
Bannon is expected to be released days before the November election.
He was fined $6,500, USA Today reported.
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