CNN analyst predicts Bannon appeal will fail

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig predicted Thursday that an appeal by Steve Bannon, an ex-adviser to former President Trump, will fail, following a judge ordering Bannon to start a four-month prison sentence in July.

“Elie, Steve Bannon is threatening to essentially try to go to the Supreme Court here, with this,” CNN host Kaitlan Collins said on her show, “The Source,” in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “To try to either get the D.C. Court of Appeals, the District Court, to weigh in on this, or to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court did not get involved when Peter Navarro asked for that help, what do you expect them to do here?”

“They’re not gonna touch this, and Steve Bannon will be in prison, I believe, as of July 1,” Honig responded. “He’s just about out of options.”

Back in 2022, Bannon was found guilty of failing to appear for a deposition ordered by the House Jan. 6 committee and refusing to hand over documents if subpoenaed. Last month, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an attempt by Bannon to overturn his contempt of Congress conviction.

The Justice Department then moved to incarcerate Bannon straight away, stating there was not a “substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial” anymore.

“Now, the reason he’s been out — he got sentenced to four months. He was given what’s called bail pending appeal,” Honig said of Bannon. “And by the way, stash that term away, because Donald Trump will be asking for bail pending appeal after he’s sentenced in July. And that means what it sounds like: You get to stay out of prison until your appeal’s over. But to get that, you have to show that you have a substantial likelihood, potentially, of winning your appeal.”

“Well, Bannon’s lost his appeal now,” Honig continued. “So, he’s down to the Hail Marys. He can ask the entire D.C. Circuit to rehear the case. They almost never do that. I don’t think they’re gonna do it here. He can go to the Supreme Court. I don’t think they’re taking it. And then he’s gotta surrender.”