The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Justice Department to move forward with dismissing a criminal case against Steve Bannon, a close ally of Donald Trump.
In a brief unsigned order, the justices set aside a lower court ruling that had upheld Bannon’s 2022 conviction for contempt of Congress. The case has now been sent back to a lower court for reconsideration, taking into account the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the indictment.
Bannon was convicted by a jury in Washington for refusing to comply with a subpoena issued by a House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. He had declined to provide documents or testify before the panel, which examined the events surrounding the attack by Trump supporters seeking to overturn the 2020 election results.
The Justice Department argued that dropping the case would be “in the interests of justice,” signaling a shift in its legal stance. The department had already filed a motion at the trial court level seeking dismissal.
Bannon, 72, previously served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 after the Supreme Court denied his request to remain free during the appeals process. He was held at a federal facility in Connecticut before being released.
A former chief strategist in Trump’s White House and a key figure in his 2016 campaign, Bannon has remained influential in conservative politics and media. He has consistently described the charges against him as politically motivated.
Prosecutors had argued during sentencing that Bannon deliberately defied Congress, emphasizing that no individual is above the law. However, Bannon maintained his actions were justified and linked to broader legal questions, including executive privilege and the authority of the congressional committee.
The case marks another chapter in the legal and political fallout from the January 6 attack, which disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
Bannon has also faced other legal challenges. In 2025, he pleaded guilty in a New York state court to fraud charges related to a fundraising campaign for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, though he avoided jail time. Earlier, Trump had pardoned him in a separate federal case tied to the same initiative.
With the Supreme Court’s latest decision, the future of the contempt case now rests with the lower court, which will determine whether to formally dismiss the charges.