Appeals Court Appears Skeptical As Bannon Attempts To Overturn Contempt Of Congress Convictions

On Thursday, Steve Bannon, a former chief political adviser to former President Donald Trump, faced a tough time arguing before a federal appeals court panel that his convictions for contempt of Congress should be overturned.

He argued that executive privilege should have shielded him from prosecution, but the judges seemed unconvinced.

Bannon was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress last year for disobeying a subpoena from the House panel conducting a probe into the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol.

He received a four-month prison sentence after he refused to produce any documents or attend a deposition. But this sentence has been delayed during the appeal.

During the latest court hearing, Bannon’s lawyer argued that the judge overseeing the trial should have allowed Bannon to defend himself by claiming that he acted on the advice of his lawyer, who had told him that Trump had asserted executive privilege, which prevented him from testifying.

Bannon’s lawyer David Schoen contended that the judge should have permitted a jury to determine whether Bannon had relied on his lawyer’s guidance in good faith.

Additionally, Schoen claimed that once Bannon’s first lawyer had informed the January 6 committee that executive privilege had been invoked, the subpoena became “presumptively valid,” and Congress should have challenged it rather than pursuing contempt charges against Bannon.