Internet celebrates as DC appeals court upholds Steve Bannon's conviction for contempt of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC: A three-judge panel of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has upheld Steve Bannon’s 2022 conviction on two counts of contempt of Congress, which had sentenced the far-right political commentator to four months in prison.

The order issued by the DC Circuit stipulates that the judges' ruling will not officially take effect until seven days after further appeal attempts are resolved.

Consequently, it appears improbable that the 70-year-old will have to report to prison immediately.

However, Bannon still has recourse to appeal to the full bench of the DC Circuit to hear his case, or he can petition the Supreme Court for review, according to NBC News.

Why was Steve Bannon convicted in the 2022 trial?

Steve Bannon, the former White House Chief Strategist under then-President Trump, was found guilty of contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the US House of Representatives Select Committee to investigate the events of January 6th, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol.

Bannon refused to provide testimony or documents related to his role in former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Bannon argued that his testimony was protected by executive privilege, which allows the president to withhold information from Congress.

However, the committee and the Justice Department disagreed with Bannon’s defense, stating that Trump had fired him from his White House position in 2017 and that he was no longer a government official when he was involved in the planning and execution of the January 6th insurrection.

In a statement released Friday night, Steve Bannon's attorney indicated that he would request the full DC Circuit to hear his case.

Attorney David I Schoen stated, "Mr. Bannon will now seek redress before the full Court of Appeals. That is the next step."

“There are many fundamentally important constitutional issues at stake in this case,” Schoen claimed.

“Today’s decision is wrong as a matter of law and it reflects a very dangerous view of the threshold for criminal liability for any defendant in our country and for future political abuses of the congressional hearing process,” the legal representative remarked.

During the appeals court hearing last year, Bannon's lawyer contested the four-month prison sentence imposed on his client. The lawyer argued that Bannon was unable to comply with the subpoenas because of the executive privilege invoked by then-President Trump.

The court, however, still ordered Bannon to serve his sentence and pay a fine of $6,500.

Internet abuzz as DC appeals court upheld Steve Bannon's conviction

One X user remarked, "Finally!!!! Bye, Steve Bannon!"

Another user wrote, "LOCK HIM UP. 4 months is not enough."

Another user said, "Great! Now lock him to serve his sentence."

One X user claimed, "Finally, a victory for the January 6th committee! Bannon's refusal to comply with the subpoena was a slap in the face to democracy. Now, he's facing the consequences. Let this be a warning to others who think they're above the law."

Another user quipped, "When is he actually going to prison, I want to make sure I mark it on my Calendar."

Finally, this user tweeted, "I can't wait to see how the tough guy handles it. He's going to cry like a baby."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.