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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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The U.S. Supreme Court threw out a ruling Monday that upheld Steve Bannon's conviction for refusing to testify before Congress, potentially opening the door to dismissal of the case.
The justices dismissed an appellate ruling on the conviction stemming from Bannon's defiance of a House committee subpoena to testify over the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon already served four months in prison in 2024 over the contempt of Congress conviction in 2022.
Who Is Steve Bannon?
Bannon was a key figure within the early days of the first Trump administration, serving as White House Chief Strategist from January through August 2017. He was a key architect of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, which influenced immigration and foreign policy.
Read More on Politics
He left the White House after public disagreements with other key White House figures, but remained a close MAGA ally through his War Room podcast, at times championing Trump and at other times criticizing or questioning his moves.
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What Was the Supreme Court Order About?
The Supreme Court's order on Monday revolves around a key moment at the end of Trump's first term: January 6.
Representatives on the committee set up to investigate the riot formed by Trump supporters that day in 2021 had asked Bannon to testify and produce documents related to the lead-up to the attack. He refused to do so and was charged with contempt of Congress.
Bannon appealed the charges several times, and at one point, the Supreme Court denied his request to put off his sentence, which he then served in 2024.
Last year, Bannon asked an appeals court to overturn his conviction, arguing that he only defied the subpoena at the request of his legal counsel, who warned that complying would expose privileged information. He also argued that Congress would have been harsher on him if he had appeared but refused to answer questions, instead of failing to appear at all.
The judges on the court did not agree with him, leaving the conviction in place and sending the case back to the Supreme Court.
What Happens Next
Monday's move by the Supreme Court, at the prompting of the Department of Justice, opens the case for a trial judge to dismiss it. That move would be largely symbolic, given that Bannon had already served a prison term.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 4/6/26, 10:49 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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