Abdelrahman
BBC News, Washington
Getty Images
Steve Bannon, a prominent figure and former associate of President Donald Trump, has admitted guilt in a case involving the fraudulent misappropriation of donations meant for a private initiative to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border.
At 71 years old, Bannon was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge, which means he will avoid any prison time as part of a plea deal.
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Bannon along with three accomplices of deceiving hundreds of thousands of donors linked to the “We Build the Wall” campaign, which generated approximately $25 million (£19 million).
According to Bannon’s attorney, he did not personally benefit from any of the funds raised.
The “We Build the Wall” initiative was started by Bannon and his three co-defendants to utilize donations for constructing sections of the border barrier—a pivotal promise made by Trump during the 2016 election—on privately owned land.
They faced charges of money laundering and conspiracy after being accused of misleading donors who contributed millions to the fundraising effort in 2019.
The indictment stated that Bannon portrayed himself as a “kind of a volunteer” for the We Build the Wall non-profit, which attracted over $25 million (£22 million) from numerous contributors.
Despite his assurance that “not a penny” would be taken by him or anyone else, prosecutors claimed he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to two associates.
Bannon’s plea agreement involved pleading guilty to just the initial charge of scheme to defraud.
Additionally, his sentencing restricts him from serving as a director of any non-profit organization in New York or collecting funds for charities within the state.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg commented, “This resolution accomplishes our main objective: safeguarding New York’s charities and protecting charitable contributions from fraud.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Bannon criticized Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, labeling them as “existential threats” to Trump’s administration.
Although James did not take part in Bannon’s case, she previously filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, securing a near half-billion dollar judgment against him.
Bannon also encountered federal charges stemming from the wall initiative after being indicted by a federal grand jury, but those proceedings were halted when Trump granted him a pardon in the final hours of his first presidency.
Some of his co-defendants, who were not pardoned, were ultimately sentenced to prison.
It is important to note that the president’s pardoning powers only extend to federal matters, while the current charges against Bannon were brought in a New York State court in September 2022.
Bannon, once a Wall Street banker, played a significant role in the right-leaning media outlet Breitbart News before taking on the role of chief strategist in the Trump White House.
His influence was evident in major decisions, including the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement in mid-2017.
He departed from his White House role in August 2017, returning to Breitbart, although he later resigned after remarks made to a book author that criticized Trump and his family.
At that time, Trump remarked, “Steve Bannon no longer has any association with me or my presidency. After being let go, he not only lost his position but also his sanity.”
In 2024, Bannon served four months in federal prison following a 2022 conviction for contempt of Congress due to his failure to comply with a subpoena from the committee investigating the events of January 6 at the Capitol.
