A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday declined a request from the Justice Department to dismiss the contempt of Congress conviction for former Trump chief White House strategist Steve Bannon. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, stated that prosecutors would need to provide a more thorough explanation if they wish to clear Bannon’s record.
Judge Nichols noted that the denial of the Justice Department’s request for dismissal is without prejudice, indicating that prosecutors will have another opportunity to offer a fuller explanation for why the case against Bannon should be dismissed. The judge faulted prosecutors for not adhering to local rules that require them to explain their reasons for dismissing an indictment.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress. These charges stemmed from his defiance of a subpoena issued by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He subsequently served four months in prison in 2024.
In February, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, under the leadership of Trump ally Jeanine Pirro, moved to dismiss Bannon’s indictment while he was pursuing an appeal of his conviction before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in April vacated the charges against Bannon and returned the case to a lower court for dismissal.
