DOJ Moves To Dismiss Steve Bannon Contempt Case
The Justice Department asked a judge on Feb. 9, 2026 to dismiss with prejudice the two-count contempt indictment against Steve Bannon.
Overview
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed an unopposed motion on Feb. 9, 2026 asking U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to dismiss with prejudice the two-count contempt-of-Congress indictment against Steve Bannon, according to court documents.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a Jan. 6, 2021 subpoena and served about four months in federal prison in October 2024, court records show, making the motion capable of erasing his conviction and affecting a pending Supreme Court appeal.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on X that the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to vacate an appellate ruling upholding the conviction and said the move would help "undo the prior administration's weaponization of the justice system," court filings and his post show.
The case traces to a November 2021 grand jury indictment and a 2022 jury verdict, and the House Jan. 6 committee voted to recommend charging Bannon after a bipartisan contempt vote that included nine Republicans, records show.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols must decide whether to grant Pirro's motion, and if he dismisses the case with prejudice it would bar refiling and likely moot Bannon's pending Supreme Court proceedings, court documents show.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources foreground DOJ’s rationale and Bannon’s lack of opposition, framing the dismissal as a corrective to alleged politicization. They emphasize prosecutorial discretion and DOJ quotes about “weaponization,” downplay consequences by noting Bannon already served time, and include brief committee pushback without sustained counteranalysis.
Sources (7)
FAQ
The Justice Department determined that dismissal is 'in the interests of justice' and aims to undo the prior administration's weaponization of the justice system.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed the unopposed motion on February 9, 2026.
It would erase Bannon's conviction, bar refiling of the case, and likely moot his pending Supreme Court appeal.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee, served four months in prison in 2024, and paid a $6,500 fine.
The DOJ asked the Supreme Court to vacate the appellate ruling upholding the conviction and send the matter back to the district court.
History
4 sources