Steve Bannon, an outspoken ally of former President Donald Trump, reported to prison Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress — claiming he was "proud" to do so despite trying to avoid it for two years.
Bannon, 70, arrived at Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into custody, the Associated Press reported, citing the Bureau of Prisons.
Earlier, Bannon struck a note of defiance outsde the low-security lockup.
"I am proud of going to prison today," he told reporters.
His surrender followed a lengthy, unsuccessful appeal of his July 2022 conviction and repeated attempts to postpone his sentence, including a last-ditch effort that Supreme Court rejected on Friday.
"I am a political prisoner." - Steve Bannon
During his remarks, Bannon called himself a "political prisoner" and claimed he was "standing up" against the "corrupt" Department of Justice.
He also said Trump was "very supportive" of him.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was among a small group of people who gathered outside the prison to await Bannon's arrival.
The rowdy crowd held up flags and signs supporting Bannon and repeatedly broke into chants of, "USA!" AP said.
"It's a political war, and it's a political persecution, and it shouldn't be happening," Greene said during a news conference with Bannon.
A small group of protesters also showed up and shouted, "Traitor!" and "Lock him up!" in an echo of what Trump supporters chanted about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.