New York — Conservative firebrand Steve Bannon pleaded guilty to defrauding donors in a fundraising campaign to build a wall along the southern US border, allowing him to avoid prison.
Bannon pleaded guilty to one state felony count of first-degree fraud and was sentenced to three years of conditional discharge. Under the terms of the agreement, he will not be sentenced to prison or pay restitution.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Levinson stated that there is no restitution because Bannon’s co-defendants in a related federal case have already returned millions of dollars to victims.
Bannon spoke briefly in court, answering the judge’s questions.
“Yes, your honor,” he replied when asked if he participated in the scheme for which he was pleading guilty.
Prosecutors fought to prevent recent attempts to postpone the trial, which was set to begin on March 4. It also marks Bannon’s second criminal conviction, as he was found guilty of contempt of Congress, a misdemeanor. After four months in federal prison, he was released in November.
Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, was indicted in 2022 on state charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud in connection with an online fundraising scheme called “We Build the Wall” that solicited donations under the premise of building a wall along the US-Mexico border. Prosecutors say Bannon and others raised more than $15 million by falsely claiming that none of the funds would be used to pay one of the founders’ salaries.
Following the hearing, Bannon used the opportunity to urge Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct criminal investigations into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, “for what they did to President Trump.”
“The existential threat to his administration is the queen of lawfare Letitia James,” Bannon tweeted.
Bannon was first indicted on federal charges in 2020, along with others involved in the fundraising campaign. Trump pardoned Bannon before leaving office in 2021, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office opened its own investigation.
“This resolution achieves our primary goal: to protect New York’s charities and New Yorkers’ charitable giving from fraud,” Bragg told reporters afterwards. “New York has an important interest in rooting out fraud in our markets, our corporations, and our charities, and we will continue to do just that.”
Second conviction for Bannon
Bannon’s guilty plea marks his second criminal conviction. He was found guilty of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena in connection with an investigation into the events of January 6. Bannon spent four months in federal prison.
Last month, Bannon hired a new lawyer, Arthur Aidala, a New York criminal defense attorney who also represents Harvey Weinstein.
Bannon told the judge at the hearing that he wanted Aidala to take a more aggressive stance in the trial.
“I’ve been slandered by political prosecution and persecution for years. I need to be more aggressive at trial. “We’ll use every tool in the toolbox to combat this,” Bannon stated at the time.
As part of his three-year conditional discharge, Bannon is prohibited from serving as an officer or director of any charitable organization or nonprofit with assets in New York, as well as accessing “We Build the Wall” donor names.
