Steve Bannon reports to prison for contempt sentence

Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Trump, told reporters that he was "proud" to report to federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt, for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. 

He arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons said.

In speaking with reporters, he also called himself a "political prisoner," said former President Donald Trump was "very supportive" of him and slammed Democrats, including Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon arrives at a press conference outside the federal correctional institution, on July 1, 2024 in Danbury, Connecticut. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)

Why is Steve Bannon going to prison?

A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in the Republican ex-president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed but ordered him to report to prison Monday after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. 

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected his last-minute appeal to stave off his sentence.

Who is Steve Bannon? 

Steve Bannon is former President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist and longtime ally. 

Steve Bannon pardoned

Former President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon in the final hours of his White House term. 

Bannon had been charged federally with duping thousands of donors who believed their money would be used to fulfill Trump’s chief campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border. Instead, prosecutors alleged he diverted over a million dollars, paying a salary to one campaign official and personal expenses for himself. 

He still faces similar criminal charges in New York state, where he’s pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. 

That trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.

This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press and FOX News Digital contributed.