Judge Blocks Bid to Erase Bannon's Contempt Conviction

A federal judge has declined to throw out the criminal conviction of Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Donald Trump, for defying a subpoena from the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors had not adequately explained their reasons for seeking to dismiss the indictment. However, he noted that the government could renew its request if it follows proper legal procedures.

The decision comes months after the Supreme Court, at the request of prosecutors, set aside an appellate ruling that had upheld Bannon's conviction. Bannon had been found guilty of contempt of Congress in 2022 and served a four-month prison sentence.

In a February court filing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a Trump appointee, said her office determined that dismissing the case was "in the interests of justice," but she provided no further explanation. Judge Nichols, also a Trump appointee, found that lack of detail insufficient.

While the dismissal would have been largely symbolic—since Bannon has already completed his sentence—the ruling keeps the conviction on record for now. The government may still file a new motion with a more thorough justification.