Steve Bannon begins serving 4-month sentence in federal prison after refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena
Steve Bannon, a former Donald Trump White House strategist who was arrested at the federal jail at Danbury, Connecticut, on Monday to begin his four-month sentence for ignoring an order from Congress.
By Sara Murray, Katelyn Polantz, Devan Cole
Aug 02 2024 at 03:19 am.
CNN —
Steve Bannon, a former Donald Trump White House strategist was taken to the Federal prison located within Danbury, Connecticut, on Monday, to begin a four-month sentence for ignoring the congressional subpoena.
Bannon was one of the two former Trump advisor to be detained for violation of Congress conviction, following the time that Peter Navarro began serving a four-month sentence in January and was detained just following 12 p.m. ET.
He was transported to Federal Prison in a black van following speaking on a stage outside the correctional facility, declaring that the prisoner is “proud” to have been admitted to prison.
“It’s time to go to Danbury,” he said.
The two Bannon as well as Navarro were found guilty for not obeying subpoenas that were issued for them by the now defunct House Select Committee that investigated the case on January 6 2021. It was the Supreme Court on Friday denied a long-shot attempt by Bannon to avoid going to prison as he fights his conviction in an appeals court of the Federal Circuit at Washington, DC.
Bannon has stated that he did not turn his head to the House committee, but was instead relying on advice from his lawyers to refrain from responding in response to the summons until Congress figured out the assertions of executive privilege by Trump in the case. The courts did not permit him to make that argument to the jury that ruled on the case.
The conservative podcaster has been an unwavering Trump friend and an outspoken backer of his presidential run for reelection.
In an interview broadcast on Monday morning The former president expressed his reaction to Bannon being sent to prison, saying “(President Joe) Biden is going to pay a heavy cost for it.”
“They were trying to disarm him but they’ll never be able to be able to silence him however they did want to disarm him. It’s the definition of weaponization. What they’ve done to this country is beyond belief and Biden is likely to be a heavy price for it, i believe. Because I believe that people will think, Wow that you’ve opened an Pandora’s Box. It’s a horrible thing they’ve opened. They’ve opened up. This is third world. They wanted to disarm Steve Bannon, and the only way to accomplish this was to put Bannon in prison,” Trump said in an interview on “Richmond’s Morning News with John Reid.”
“More powerful in prison”
The MAGA media tycoon was able to keep an active schedule during the days leading up to the prison term began. He attempted, but failed, to persuade Trump to stay out of his CNN presidential debate this week. He continues to host his ultra-righteous podcast, where he’s vowed to retaliate against his political foes and to put the current leadership within Justice Department. Justice Department.
He also invited a number of mainstream media journalists to be part of his radio broadcasts, while telling his tale of martyrdom for the cause.
“I’m likely to become much more effective in jail than I am today,” Bannon said last week.
His public image is one of apathy Unafraid and unbothered of his time in Federal facilities.
“I’m sure I’m not going sit there thinking”Oh, woe is me I’m not going to be sitting there saying, ‘Oh, woe is me!” Bannon told CNN.
The sources close to Bannon have painted a different image of a man who is bouncing between denial that he’d get a free sentence and fear of what his life in prison could mean.
For criminals there are better prisons than the one where Bannon will be for in the coming four months. Danbury has a modest prison population with less than 1,200 male and female prisoners.
The facility that is low-security in which Bannon will be kept is home to white collar criminals, but it could also contain sexual offenders and violent offenders. The commissary has a variety of snacks, ranging from peanut butters to plantain chips, as per an online listing.
The universe of Bannon is set to shrink.
Inmates aren’t able to access the Internet According to those who have been in contact to the facility. Inmates at Danbury can send emails with or without attachments, but they go through a system that’s monitored with a delay. In addition, the Federal Bureau of Prisons code restricts prisoners from carrying out business while they are in prison.
In addition to access to email as well, prisoners at Danbury get hundreds of minutes each monthly, and are able to utilize in 15-minute increments using a wall-mounted telephone. When the monthly minutes are run out, there’s no way to replenish the minutes.
It’s not the same as being broadcast to Trump followers for hours every day. But, Bannon insisted his “War Room” media platform would be successful even without him.
“We’re an populist movement. It’s all about the public,” Bannon said. “Whether I don’t return in the future to the ‘War Room’ won’t make any difference.”
He had high hopes that he too would do well in the months ahead.
“I’m working all day, every day to help the campaign,”” declared Bannon, who has no official role in the 2024 presidential campaign, but is one of Trump’s most vocal supporters even after he was removed by his position at the Trump White House.
“I can have greater effect on campaign if I’m in prison than I do right now,” he said.
At present, Bannon is poised to undergo an intake process on Monday. It’s a routine procedure for prisoners at Danbury. Bannon will go through a detector, and then undergo an examination of his strip. Then, he’ll be involved an mental health assessment. Then, he’ll be transported to a housing facility where he’ll be provided with an upholstered bed, assigned the bed and allowed to adjust to life in prison.
The future won’t be one of the need to keep the letters of his fans, Bannon said.
“You have to focus 100% of your energy to win,” the coach said to those who may be enticed to write notes of encouragement to his mobile.
“Don’t write me a letter as I’m not likely to go through it,” he added.
The story was updated to reflect more developments.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.