WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the dismissal of Steve Bannon’s criminal contempt of Congress conviction, vacating a lower appeals court ruling that had upheld it and sending the case back for further proceedings.
The high court issued a brief order with no noted dissents that removes an obstacle for the Justice Department under President Donald Trump to drop the charges against Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and former White House strategist. The department had moved in February to dismiss the indictment “in the interests of justice,” court records show.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress after a federal jury found he willfully defied a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He refused to provide documents or testify before the panel. He served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 after the Supreme Court earlier rejected his bid to remain free during appeals.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals had affirmed the conviction. Monday’s Supreme Court action vacates that ruling, allowing the case to return to lower courts where dismissal is now expected.
Bannon’s attorney, Michael Buschbacher, said in a statement that “Bannon’s unlawful conviction has finally been vacated.”
Details of any remaining procedural steps in the district court remained unclear immediately after the order.
The case stems from the House committee’s investigation into the events surrounding the Capitol attack by supporters of then-President Trump. Bannon has maintained he did not willfully violate the subpoena, citing executive privilege claims.
The Justice Department, now under the Trump administration, argued in its motion that continuing the case was no longer warranted. The Supreme Court’s order noted the government’s position without further explanation.
Bannon, who served as chief strategist in Trump’s first term, has remained a prominent conservative commentator and podcast host. His conviction carried no additional penalties beyond the time already served, but dismissal would remove it from his record.
The order marks the latest development in legal matters involving Trump associates following the 2024 presidential election. No immediate comment was available from representatives of the House committee or Democratic lawmakers who supported the original investigation.
The case is now expected to be formally dismissed in federal district court in Washington, though the exact timing was not specified in the Supreme Court order.
