Washington, D.C. — A federal judge has rejected, for now, the Justice Department’s attempt to erase Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction, ruling that prosecutors failed to adequately explain why the case should be dismissed.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, said prosecutors offered only a conclusory justification for dropping the case. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office had argued in February that dismissal was “in the interests of justice” but provided little additional reasoning.
Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and former White House strategist, was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He served a four-month prison sentence in 2024.
The Supreme Court later vacated an appellate ruling that had upheld Bannon’s conviction and returned the dispute to lower courts.
Nichols denied the government’s request without prejudice, meaning prosecutors may file another motion offering a more complete legal explanation. ABC News reported that Nichols specifically faulted the Justice Department for failing to satisfy local rules requiring prosecutors to explain their motivations for dismissing an indictment.
Because Bannon has already completed his prison sentence, dismissal would primarily affect the status of his conviction rather than his custody.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
