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Steve Bannon released from prison after 4-month sentence

By
Graham Kates
Reporter
Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at KatesG@cbsnews.com or grahamkates@protonmail.com
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Graham Kates

/ CBS News

Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House chief strategist turned podcaster, was released from federal prison early Tuesday, a spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to CBS News.

The firebrand right-wing influencer served a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from a congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

The 70-year-old said before reporting to serve his time on July 1 that he was "proud to go to prison" but he tried repeatedly — as recently as two weeks ago — to have the sentence stayed or shortened. 

Bannon was convicted in July 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress and was sentenced to four months at FCI Danbury in Connecticut. He was indicted after refusing to comply with subpoenas from House Jan. 6 select committee investigators seeking his communications with then-President Donald Trump following the 2020 presidential election. 

Bannon recorded an episode of his podcast after his release Tuesday, calling himself a "political prisoner." 

"The four months in federal prison, not only didn't break me, it empowered me. I am more energized and more focused than I've ever been in my entire life," Bannon said.

Bannon's legal problems won't end with his release. He was charged and entered a not guilty plea in a separate New York State case in 2022.

He is accused of defrauding donors to a "We Build the Wall" fundraising campaign that promised to erect a portion of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The charges in that case include money laundering, conspiracy and fraud. 

Bannon was previously convicted in a similar federal case in 2020 but was later pardoned by Trump in one of his final acts as president.

Trump is running for president again but, even if elected, would not be able to pardon Bannon in the New York case, which is a state-level proceeding.

Robert Legare contributed to this report.

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