Trump ally Steve Bannon begins 4-month prison sentence

Steve Bannon, a key advisor to former US President Donald Trump during his first seven months in the White House, handed himself over to a Connecticut prison on Monday.

The far-right figure is to serve a four-month sentence for rejecting a subpoena to testify before Congress during an investigation into the January 6 Capitol riots.

A second count of contempt of Congress came after Bannon refused to hand over documents related to his involvement in Trump's alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden.

"I'm proud of going to prison today," the 70-year-old said, while referring to himself as a "political prisoner."

Bannon's legal problems

The mastermind behind Trump's successful 2016 run for the White House was sentenced in October 2022, but remained free while he appealed the conviction.

The conviction was upheld in May and a Trump-appointed judge revoked Bannon's bail in early June, ordering him to report to prison by July 1.

The Supreme Court also refused to overturn the decision in a last-minute ruling on Friday.

He was met by a group of Trump supporters, including the Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, outside the prison.

In 2020, Bannon was charged for wire fraud and money laundering after he took millions of dollars raised by donations for the construction of a border wall with Mexico — a key part of Trump's 2016 campaign — for his own personal use.

Trump issued a pardon to Bannon for federal charges before leaving office, but he is still facing state charges for the same case.

ab/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)