Former Trump aide Steve Bannon released from prison 1 week before Election Day
Fox News
Steve Bannon, a former White House aide and longtime ally of former President Trump, was released from prison Tuesday after completing a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.
Bannon left the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Kristie Breshears told the Associated Press. He is expected to hold a news conference later in the day in Manhattan, according to his representatives. He will also resume his “War Room” podcast on Tuesday.
Bannon, 70, was jailed in July after the Supreme Court rejected his attempt to delay the prison sentence while he appeals his conviction.
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A jury found Bannon guilty in 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in Trump’s reported efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
Bannon told reporters in July he was “proud” to begin his prison sentence and described himself as a “political prisoner.”
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“I am going to prison. I’m proud to go to prison. I am proud of going to prison today,” Bannon said at a press conference held with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., outside the prison. “I am proud to go to prison. If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny. If this is what it takes to stand up to the Garland corrupt, criminal DOJ. If this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it.”
Bannon’s release comes one week before Election Day, when Trump, a Republican, will seek to defeat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and return to the White House.
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A federal appeals court panel upheld Bannon’s convictions in May. Bannon is now asking the full appeals court to hear his case. His legal team had argued that the congressional subpoena was invalid because Trump had asserted executive privilege. Prosecutors, though, say Bannon had left the White House years before and Trump had never invoked executive privilege in front of the committee.
Bannon also faces criminal charges in New York state court, where prosecutors allege he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Banon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. He is set to go to trial in December.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.