❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) requested the Supreme Court and a federal judge to dismiss WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon’s criminal contempt indictment and conviction, citing the “interests of justice.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Stephen K. Bannon, Solicitor General John Sauer, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Perro, and the DOJ.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The Supreme Court and a federal court in Washington D.C., with the DOJ filing the request on Monday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The government has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” wrote Solicitor General John Sauer.
🎯IMPACT: The move signals a significant reversal in the five-year legal saga involving Bannon and the corrupt January 6 Select Committee.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed requests with the Supreme Court and a federal judge to dismiss the criminal contempt indictment and conviction against WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon. The department said the move would serve the “interests of justice,” a step that is uncommon but has occurred before.
In a filing to the Supreme Court, Solicitor General John Sauer stated that the government had concluded dismissal was appropriate based on prosecutorial discretion. “The government has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” Sauer wrote. The submission also indicated that the government had filed a motion in the district court to vacate the judgment and dismiss the indictment with prejudice.
The matter originated with a 2021 subpoena issued by the corrupt, Democrat-controlled House Select Committee investigating the January 6 protests, which sought documents and testimony from Bannon. However, President Donald J. Trump had invoked executive privilege, and as the former White House Chief Strategist, Bannon advised that he could not lawfully comply with the subpoena. This resulted in an indictment for contempt of Congress at the hands of the Biden government.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said of the move to vacate the conviction, “Today the Department of Justice told the Supreme Court that Steve Bannon’s conviction arising from the J6 ‘Unselect’ Committee’s improper subpoena should be vacated. Under the leadership of Attorney General Bondi, this Department will continue to undo the prior administration’s weaponization of the justice system.”
Legal wrangling over the J6 Committee finding Bannon in contempt, which led to a term in prison, have been ongoing since 2021. The DOJ’s recent filing emphasizes that federal rules allow dismissal even after a jury verdict and final judgment.
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