Judge declines to toss Bannon's contempt of Congress conviction

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration‘s attempt to erase Steve Bannon‘s criminal conviction, stating the Justice Department did not provide necessary support for its case for dismissal.

Judge declines to toss Bannon's contempt of Congress conviction

TL;DR

  • A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to erase Steve Bannon's criminal conviction.
  • U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols declined the Justice Department's request to dismiss Bannon's contempt of Congress conviction.
  • The DOJ's request was denied without prejudice, allowing them another opportunity to present their argument.
  • Nichols stated the DOJ's filing lacked required motivations for dismissing the indictment.
  • Bannon was convicted in 2022 for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee.
  • He served a short prison sentence in 2024 for the conviction.
  • Bannon argued he was covered by executive privilege and following his lawyers' advice.
  • The Justice Department, under Trump allies, had moved to dismiss the indictment in February.
  • The Supreme Court had previously vacated Bannon's contempt of Congress charges in April, returning the case to the lower court.