Justice Department moves to toss Steve Bannon’s conviction tied to Congress’ Jan. 6 investigation

The Trump administration asked a court on Thursday to wipe out Steve Bannon's contempt of Congress conviction, which stemmed from his refusal to cooperate with the House inquiry into the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Bannon, who held senior White House roles during Donald Trump's first term, was convicted on two counts in 2022 and spent four months in prison. His lawyers did not oppose the request, according to NBC News.

In its motion, signed by Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Weisbuch, the Justice Department said it has "significant doubts" about whether the trial was fair. It also argued that, as a matter of prosecutorial discretion, the executive branch should not pursue contempt charges against a former presidential adviser who ignored a subpoena because he believed executive privilege shielded him. Prosecutors pointed to Trump's own objections to prosecutions of January 6 cases under President Joe Biden's administration, and to the many pardons and commutations he has granted, saying that defending the conviction no longer fits the administration's enforcement priorities.

NBC News notes that R. Trent McCotter, now the acting deputy attorney general, once represented Bannon. His name is absent from the filing.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →