Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist and 'chief strategist' for former U.S. President Donald Trump, began serving a four-month prison sentence on the 1st (local time).
According to AP News and others, Bannon appeared at a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, surrounded by supporters holding flags and placards, and after finishing a press conference, he entered the prison building.
Before his incarceration, Bannon referred to himself as a 'political prisoner' at the press conference and said, "I am proud to be incarcerated today." He also stated that former President Trump "strongly supported" him and criticized Democratic figures including Attorney General Merrick Garland. He claimed, "I am standing against Garland's corrupt Department of Justice."
Bannon, considered one of Trump's closest aides, is mentioned as a potential White House Chief of Staff candidate if Trump wins re-election in this year's presidential election. He was sentenced to four months in prison in the first trial in 2022 for contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the January 6 Capitol riot. At that time, he was found guilty of refusing to testify before the House Select Committee and of refusing to provide documents related to former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Bannon, who began serving his sentence on this day, will remain incarcerated until just before the U.S. presidential election on November 5. Bannon requested a stay of sentence execution until the appeal ruling, but the Supreme Court rejected it on the 28th of last month. Prior to Bannon, Peter Navarro, former White House Director known as Trump's 'economic strategist,' was also sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to cooperate with the congressional investigation related to the January 6 Capitol riot and has been incarcerated since March.
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