Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser, pleads not guilty in border wall scheme

Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser, pleads not guilty in border wall scheme

Steve Bannon, the onetime top strategist to former U.S. President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to money laundering and conspiracy charges for allegedly deceiving donors to an effort to help Trump build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bannon, 68, was handcuffed when he came into a New York state court in Manhattan. He was released without bail after his lawyer David Schoen entered the plea on his behalf.

Prosecutors accused Bannon of defrauding donors who contributed more than $15 million to a private fundraising drive, known as "We Build the Wall," for the former Republican president's signature wall.

According to the indictment, Bannon promised donors that all their money would go toward the wall, but concealed his role in diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars to the drive's chief executive, who had promised to take no salary.

The chief executive has been identified in court papers as Brian Kolfage, an Air Force veteran who pleaded guilty in April to federal wire fraud conspiracy and tax charges, and is awaiting sentencing.

"It is a crime to profit off the backs of donors by making false pretenses," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a joint press conference with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who worked with him on the probe.

Bannon was charged with two counts of money laundering, three counts of conspiracy and one count of scheming to defraud.

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for money laundering, though prison is not mandatory.

Thursday's indictment concerns some of the conduct underlying an August 2020 federal prosecution of Bannon, Kolfage and two other men.

Bannon pleaded not guilty in that case, which ended abruptly in January 2021 when Trump pardoned him in the final hours of his presidency.

Presidential pardons do not prohibit state prosecutions.

"In New York, we have zero tolerance for corruption," James said. "There cannot be one set of rules for everyday Americans and another set of rules for the wealthy and powerful."

James and Bragg, both Democrats, have also been investigating Trump and his businesses.

After being released, Bannon told reporters outside the courthouse that the charges were politically motivated, noting they came two months before the November elections.

"I've got news for them," he said, referring to prosecutors. "We are going to win a sweeping landslide at every level, from school boards to election officials... We are not going to back down and they will not be able to shut me up."

Bannon's lawyer Schoen stood by his side and called the charges a "carbon copy" of the federal case, and said Bannon would fight "all the way through."

Bannon's next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 4.


PROBES TIED TO TRUMP


Thursday's indictment includes several communications from 2019 involving Bannon, Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, who also pleaded guilty in April in the federal case, where prosecutors estimated $25 million in fundraising contributions.

The indictment said Bannon texted in January 2019 that there would be "

His message was different five months later, according to the indictment, when he told prospective donors at a fundraiser: "Remember, all the money you give goes to building the wall."

Lawyers for Kolfage and Badolato did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A trial of the fourth defendant in the federal case, Timothy Shea, ended in a mistrial.

The state probe of Bannon began under Bragg's predecessor Cyrus Vance.

Bragg also inherited Vance's probe into Trump's company, the Trump Organization, which along with longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was charged with tax violations in July 2021.

Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August, and the Trump Organization faces a scheduled October trial.

Bannon is not the first Trump ally charged in federal and state court.

In March 2019, Vance brought fraud charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort that were similar to federal charges on which Manafort had been convicted and sentenced to 7-1/2 years in prison.

But a New York judge dismissed the state charges nine months later because they amounted to double jeopardy.

Trump pardoned Manafort in December 2020.

Double jeopardy may not apply to the Bannon case because he never went to trial on the federal charges.

Bannon, a longtime Trump ally, champions "America First" right-wing populism and fierce opposition to existing immigration practices, hallmarks of Trump's presidency.

He now runs the podcast "War Room" and often hosts guests who deny thatPresident Joe Bidenwon the 2020 election.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
×