By Jordan Nathaniel Fenster
The Middletown Press, Conn.
DANBURY, Conn. — Steve Bannon will soon be headed to Connecticut where the right-wing podcaster will likely be incarcerated in Danbury’s low security federal prison following his conviction two years ago, according to a report from CNN .
So what might that change of scenery mean for the media giant who spent time in the Oval Office as Donald Trump’s advisor?
Earlier this month a federal court ruled that Bannon must report to prison to serve out his term by July 1. CNN, citing unnamed sources, reported that Bannon’s legal team had hoped he would be incarcerated at a minimum security prison, known as a “prison camp,” but was ineligible.
Danbury resident Ian Bick served time at FCI Danbury for wire fraud, and now hosts a podcast called “Locked In with Ian Bick .” He described a prison “camp,” such as Fort Dix where Bick spent the final year of his sentence, as “cushy.”
“If you’re at a camp, that’s not even really prison,” he said, though FCI Danbury has its perks. There is a bakery, Bick said, and a decent commissary and comparatively small population.
“Danbury’s kind of known as a sweet spot because there’s not a lot of inmates there,” Bick said.
Here’s everything you need to know about Bannon and his reported prison assignment:
Who is Steve Bannon ?
After a stint in the military and public service, Bannon began his career as an investment banker, spending years at Goldman Sachs until starting his own bank, Bannon & Co., which specialized in media investments. CBS reported that Bannon had a stake in, among other shows, “Seinfeld,” from which he reportedly still receives royalties.
Bannon was a lead figure behind ultra-right wing website Breitbart, and was an early supporter of Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency. He later took control of Trump’s campaign and then, after Trump took office, became an advisor to the president.
He left that job in 2017, with then- White House communications spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying on Aug. 18 that, “White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day.”
What was Bannon convicted of?
After leaving the White House, Bannon was arrested in 2020 on federal charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud connected to a campaign to build a southern border wall. Trump, on his last day in office, pardoned Bannon, though he was later charged in New York State court with fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. That case is still pending.
Bannon refused to comply with a congressional subpoena to testify before the Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack and was later indicted on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress.
He was ordered to surrender to prison on July 1, 2024, though his lawyers have requested an appeals court take the case.
Where was Bannon arrested?
Bannon was also arrested here in Connecticut on the fraud charges for which Trump would later pardon him
Bannon was arrested in the waters off Westbrook by federal officials on Aug. 20, 2020, while on board a super-yacht owned by Greenwich resident and reported Chinese fugitive, Guo Wengui .
Wengui’s boat, named the " Lady May,” was on sale for $27.9 million in 2020, according to Mother Jones.
Boat International described the Lady May as a “super-yacht made for entertaining.”
The 150-foot aluminum yacht’s “décor is overtly masculine and monochromatic,” the website said, with “scrubbed oak joinery” natural fabrics, glossy cabinets, and stainless steel trim.
What will be Bannon’s experience at FCI Danbury?
Bannon may spend four months incarcerated in Danbury, much like Bick. Bick said he had a previous relationship with a guard and so was kept in solitary confinement, called the Sentence Handling Unit, or “SHU.”
Bick said Bannon may experience something similar.
“I wouldn’t even be surprised if, because he’s kind of famous, they’ll put them in protective custody because it’s such a short sentence,” he said.
FCI Danbury houses more than 1,000 inmates, many of them sex offenders. Bick said if Bannon is allowed freedom of movement, he likely won’t experience violence as he will be treated as a celebrity, which means special treatment.
“The whole atmosphere changes, like, the warden comes up more. Security’s higher whenever there’s a celebrity coming because (celebrity news site) TMZ will be out there,” he said. “It’s a whole different experience.”
“He’ll be treated a lot better, like any of these (other) celebrities that go to prison,” Bick said. “The biggest difference will be when he self-surrenders. During the intake process, he will be there alone. They won’t put him with anyone and it’ll be a private thing. They’ll keep it under wraps.”
Bannon also is being incarcerated for refusing to testify, which Bick said means “he’s going in there with good paperwork,” and so will be on the good side of many fellow inmates.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to necessarily go off and try and extort him or anything unless he kind of opens that door to being vulnerable,” he said. “If I had to guess, I’m sure the Italian white guys will take a liking to him.”
Will Bannon definitely go to Danbury ?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not confirm CNN’s report, but as Bannon is also being charged in New York, he could also spend time at Rikers Island in the Bronx, regardless of the outcome of that case.
It is those charges that render Bannon ineligible to serve his sentence at a minimum security prison “camp.”
As CNN reported, Bannon may be temporarily held at Rikers Island during proceedings related to his New York case, and could be sentenced to serve time there if he is convicted on those charges.
Bannon has pleaded not guilty to charges that he defrauded donors of $15 million from the “We Build the Wall” campaign.
That trial, which was scheduled to begin last month, was delayed until September by Judge Juan Merchan, as Time magazine reported. Merchan is also presiding over the hush money case in which Trump was recently found guilty and awaiting sentencing.
Who else has served time at FCI Danbury?
There have been several notable inmates at FCI Danbury over the years, including cocaine dealer George Jung, who was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the film “Blow.”
Rev. Sun Myung Moon spent 11 months in FCI Danbury after a conviction on charges of tax evasion. Poet Robert Lowell was incarcerated there, as was Leona Helmsley and singer Lauryn Hill .
This story has been updated to clarify Ian Bick’s comments about how Steve Bannon will be treated at FCI Danbury.
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