US Department of Justice calls for execution of Steve Bannon's sentence

Steve Bannon, former advisor to Donald Trump, should serve a four-month prison sentence for the crime of contempt of Congress, after a federal court denied his request to suspend the sentence, the Department of Justice argued on Tuesday (14). US Justice.

District Judge Carl Nichols, who presided over Bannon's trial, had paused the execution of the sentence while he awaited the outcome of the appeal.

A federal jury convicted Bannon of contempt of Congress. This is because in July 2022 he ignored two parliamentary calls to testify to the commission that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The Department of Justice states in the petition that anyone who has been convicted needs to report to the penitentiary system unless they can establish that “the appeal is not intended to delay serving the sentence or else present substantial reason to reverse the conviction.” .

“The Court of Appeals rejected the defendant's requests on several occasions, including the petition's preliminary argument: the assessment that mental health analysis would be a requirement for the crime of contempt of Congress,” the US authorities wrote.

The appeals court's unanimous decision was a victory for Congress, potentially paving the way for the accountability of other witnesses and investigators who ignored parliamentary summons. It is still unclear when Bannon will report to the prison system.

Source: CNN Brasil

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