Right-wing influencer Steve Bannon has asked a federal judge to let him leave prison early to continue appealing his conviction for contempt of Congress.
The former White House chief strategist reported to prison in July to begin serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, and his attorneys asked the judge who oversaw the trial to release him from prison before his scheduled release date of Oct. 29, reported CNN.
“Mr. Bannon’s case presents compelling circumstances because of the subsequent developments discussed above – namely the realistic prospect that the D.C. Circuit will grant en banc or issue dissents from denial on the core issue in this case, either of which would demonstrate this case raises substantial issues and that Mr. Bannon should not have to serve his entire sentence before the en banc D.C. Circuit or Supreme Court can hear his case,” his attorneys wrote.
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Bannon's sentence had been on hold as he appealed the conviction, but a three-judge appeals court panel ruled against him in May and ordered him to begin serving the sentence, and his attorneys asked trial judge Carl Nichols to "reduce his sentence" to supervised release if he doesn't agree to release him early.
Both Bannon and former White House aide Peter Navarro, who has already served a four-month prison sentence, were convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the select committee's investigation.
If he serves out the remainder of his term, Bannon would be released one week before Election Day.
