Steve Bannon Officially Reports For His Prison Term After Defying Liz Cheney’s Jan. 6 Panel

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Correction: This article was mistakenly published slightly ahead of Bannon actually turning himself in. But he’s officially in custody now.

Steve Bannon, an infamous and outspoken ally to former President Donald Trump as the latter seeks another term in office, reported for prison on Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch attempt to avoid a previously imposed four-month sentence that was temporarily on hold.

The sentence followed a conviction on contempt of Congress allegations stemming from defiance of the House committee that investigated the 2021 Capitol riot and circumstances leading up to it. That panel, which is no longer active, was led by now former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming and incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

Among others, also on the panel was Adam Kinzinger, then a GOP Congressman from Illinois. Cheney and Kinzinger became known before their respective exits from office for rare opposition to Trump from inside the Republican Party, particularly around Trump’s claims of systematic fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump rehashed a version of those claims during the recent debate with President Joe Biden held in Georgia, with CNN facing intense criticism for not including live fact-checking during the face-off.

Biden, in turn, faced criticism for his “performance” during the debate, but he has made no indication of ambitions to step back from the presidential race, no matter his advanced age — which is only slightly ahead of Trump’s age.

The Editorial Board at The Philadelphia Inquirer called after the debate for Trump to be the one withdrawing from the race for president this year. Republicans have stuck largely by the former president throughout Trump’s wide-ranging legal troubles, including a sentencing in his New York City criminal case happening next month around the time that Republicans are set to formally nominate Trump for president for 2024.