NEW: Steve Bannon Freed From Prison

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon left prison a free man Tuesday morning after serving four months for contempt of Congress charges that followed his rejection of a congressional subpoena.

Friends and well-wishers greeted a grizzled Bannon as he left the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut where he had been imprisoned since July, federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Kristie Breshears told the Associated Press. The early-morning exit was captured in a candid photograph showing Bannon’s daughter Maureen running arms outstretched to hug him. Bannon, who advised former President Donald Trump for part of his time in the White House, was seen sporting a gray tracksuit, carrying bags of his belongings, and smiling warmly at his greeter.

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He’s free pic.twitter.com/MI3EWOmhrD

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 29, 2024

Bannon’s release just a week before Election Day puts the “War Room” host back in play with plenty of time to elevate Trump among conservatives who may need an extra nudge to get out and vote this year. Bannon, 70, promised Tuesday to return to his “War Room” podcast, Fox News reported, and is expected to hold a press conference in Manhattan later Tuesday.

Bannon was jailed in July after the Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s contempt of court finding. The Trump advisor had been subpoenaed to testify before Congress in 2022 about his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 riots at the Capitol, a demand that Bannon publicly rejected, stating that his work with Trump was protected under presidential immunity. Before entering the minimum security facility, Bannon told reporters he was “proud” to serve his sentence and viewed himself as a “political prisoner,” Fox added. “I am going to prison. I’m proud to go to prison. I am proud of going to prison today,” Bannon said at a press conference outside the prison in July.  “I am proud to go to prison. If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny. If this is what it takes to stand up to the Garland corrupt, criminal DOJ. If this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it.”

The prosecution of Trump’s former number-one advisor is not over. Bannon still faces criminal charges in New York state where prosecutors allege he orchestrated a scheme to accept donations from Americans seeking to privately fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Prosecutors argue that the funds were never directed to wall construction and were instead spent on other priorities at Bannon’s discretion. He has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud, among other charges. That trial is set to begin in December.

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