Abdelrahman
Stephen K. Bannon, a former advisor to President Trump, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday in a Manhattan criminal court, admitting to one count of deceiving donors who aimed to support the construction of a wall along the southern border.
As part of his plea agreement, Bannon will receive a conditional discharge for three years, meaning he will avoid prison time as long as he does not commit any further offenses.
Initially facing five felony charges, including money laundering and conspiracy, he could have faced a prison sentence ranging from five to 15 years for the most serious allegation. During Tuesday’s proceedings, Bannon, flanked by his three attorneys, acknowledged the judge, April A. Newbauer, affirming his understanding of the plea deal and the rights he was forfeiting, such as the right to appeal. His trial was previously set to commence in March.
Bannon was indicted by the Manhattan district attorney’s office in 2022, accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud contributors to a fundraising initiative named We Build the Wall, which appeared to be a grassroots movement aligned with a significant commitment made during Trump’s first term. Prosecutors asserted that instead of utilizing the donations to erect a border barrier, Bannon funneled over $100,000 to the organization’s president.
The plea agreement, first reported by Law360, represents a conclusion to Bannon’s legal challenges stemming from charges filed over two years ago. Recently, he labeled the case a “political prosecution.”
A prominent figure in right-wing media, Bannon played a pivotal role in Trump’s 2016 electoral success and served as a strategist in the White House. The case highlights his connection to We Build the Wall, an organization that raised more than $25 million to help erect a barrier between the U.S. and Mexico. Prosecutors alleged that the group’s leaders conspired to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars for their personal gain, deceiving contributors in the process.
In 2020, federal prosecutors charged Bannon in connection with this scheme. However, he received a pardon from President Trump just before leaving office. Several of Bannon’s co-defendants, who did not receive pardons, were eventually sentenced to imprisonment, including Brian Kolfage, the president of the organization.
In 2022, the Manhattan district attorney’s office formally indicted Bannon, accusing him of participating in a fraudulent scheme that allegedly raised $15 million from many donors nationwide through false promises.
