This is an infuriating piece of news, but it’s actually more of a good news bad news model.
Bad news: the mocking schmuck is still out of prison and free. Good news: when the appeal loses, and it most assuredly will, then Steve Bannon can make no complaint about how things were stacked against him, the system is weaponized, bla bla, bla bla.
It’s a drag, but I agree with the judge who did this.
It's official: Steve Bannon will remain free while he appeals his conviction on two criminal contempt of Congress charges.
Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon to 4 months behind bars but said he would "stay" the prison term if the Trump ally filed a "timely" appeal. pic.twitter.com/Co2gKo7cis— Ryan Barber (@cryanbarber) November 7, 2022
In the months leading to the trial, Nichols made a series of rulings that severely limited Bannon’s potential arguments. For instance, Nichols barred Bannon’s defense team from arguing that executive privilege excused his refusal to sit for questioning or turn over records subpoenaed by the House January 6 committee.
Citing decades-old DC Circuit precedent, Nichols also prevented Bannon from arguing that he was following the advice of his lawyer in declining to comply with the House January 6 panel’s subpoena. But Nichols appeared to make the ruling reluctantly, emphasizing that he was bound by a 1961 appeals court ruling that took the so-called “advice of counsel” defense off the table in contempt of Congress cases.
After months of refusing the House panel’s demands, Bannon attempted an about-face on the eve of trial and told the committee that Trump had waived executive privilege and freed him to cooperate with the panel’s investigation.
Prosecutors cited the last-ditch offer in their sentencing recommendation this week, saying it “proved a hollow gesture.”
“When he realized that his eleventh-hour stunt would not prevent his trial, the Defendant’s cooperative spirit vanished,” prosecutors said. “Despite the removal of the only purported barrier to his compliance, to this day the Defendant has not produced a single document to the Committee or appeared for testimony.”
He had no document then, he has no document now. His appeal was filed “timely,” that does not mean it’s meritorious. He’s going to jail, only not right now, yes. Yes, I know. What a symbolic gesture that would have been. We won’t get that satisfaction. Not today.
This sucks. If it were most of us INCLUDING a well-known advisor to a Democratic President that effing judge would have had the bailiff “hook em up” and send them off to prison! Bannon has the means to flee, and has most assuredly set up things to do so & to a non-extradition country if it looks like he’s going to lose. And don’t kid yourself, he will have paid a small fortune to some law clerk to know before the decision gets released. That sumbitch will be GONE! I get the whole “appearance of fairness” thing but there has been NO fairness shown by Bannon or other members of Team Trump. Or conservatives/the GOP in general. I for one say the law has spoken. Treat him like any regular staff person in DC who was called before Congress because they possessed important information and tried to game the system – refusing to cooperate. Equal justice under law as it says above the entrance to the SCOTUS building. Let his slimy ass sit in prison. He should have gotten more than four months!
I agree, Denis,
The buck stops wherever Trump parks his plane next time, the sickening hug from Grassley to the traitor, at their meeting/rant in Western Iowa, for Grassley’s benefit …
I want the Marshalls to surround his plane with warrants in hand to deliver him to the local sheriff’s jail holding cell …
Time to get the shit storm moving … This no-good A** hole, can stand next to his kiss-up T., before the Judge as their next appointments will be supervised AND televised …
‘He would “stay” the prison term if the Trump ally filed a “timely” appeal.’
IF. he filed a ‘TIMELY’ appeal !
F.F.S.
One law for the rich and another for everyone else.
Lock the proven guilty felon up!
Ursula, just how do you define “good news”? I guess I’m just not seeing it.
The fact that this disgusting POS is still allowed to continue to tell his lies on his podcast is what really pisses me off. Same with the marmalade moron going to rallies and lying, lying, lying. Free speech is not Free Lies.