The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Trump ally Steve Bannon’s request to stay out of prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction.
The petition, presented last month to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., was referred to the full court but was denied without explanation.
Mr. Bannon was convicted for contempt of Congress, a misdemeanor, for not complying with a subpoena from the House Democrats’ special committee examining the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“There is no dispute that Mr. Bannon ‘is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if released’ — indeed, he has been out on release for years now without incident, and his ‘crime’ was nonviolent,” his petition read.
U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the justices last week that for Mr. Bannon to stay out of jail while his appeal of his contempt of Congress conviction is pending, he must show his conviction would likely be reversed.
“He cannot make that demanding showing,” she said.
Last month, Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, ordered Mr. Bannon to surrender to prison to serve a four-month sentence for defying the subpoena after an appeals court upheld his conviction.
He was ordered to turn himself into jail on Monday.
But the judge said the one-time senior White House aide could request a stay of the order, suggesting the prison term could be delayed.
Mr. Bannon was convicted in 2022 for declining to appear for a deposition with the House Jan. 6 committee and refusing to provide documents related to challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election.
A federal appeals court didn’t grant him relief, prompting his plea to the justices.
Peter Navarro, who served as President Trump’s National Trade Council director, already began serving time in prison for the same conviction.
He asked the Supreme Court to review his case and keep him from jail while his appeal is pending, but the high court didn’t agree.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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