Stephen K. Bannon, a former adviser to President Trump and a key figure in the development of his general election campaign in 2016, was accused of defrauding contributors to a private fundraising initiative called We Build the Wall that was created to support the president’s flagship project along the Mexican border.
According to a federal indictment unsealed in Manhattan, Mr. Bannon conspired with a wounded Air Force veteran and a Florida venture capitalist to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors by claiming falsely that their money had been set aside for new sections of the wall.
Prosecutors claim that Mr. Bannon used nearly $1 million of the more than $25 million in donations for personal expenses.
After roughly three hours of deliberation, a jury on Friday, July 22, 2022, found former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon guilty of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for disobeying a House committee subpoena on January 6.
In connection with the assault on the U.S. Capitol last year, a federal jury found former Trump political advisor Bannon guilty on two counts of criminally disobeying a subpoena.
For each charge, Bannon could spend up to a year in prison. The date set for his punishment is October 21.
Nobody should be particularly shocked by the outcome. During a hurried hearing last week where the defense argued the case should be postponed or even dismissed from court, Bannon’s own attorney essentially conceded defeat.
Steve Bannon has been undermining American democracy for years by demonizing the press, spreading rumors and prejudice against immigrants, inciting unrest, and breaking the law.
He’s always gotten away with it until now. He received a presidential pardon after being accused of defrauding donors to a private organization that claimed to be raising money for Donald Trump’s border wall.
He was accused of signing up to vote in Florida even though he didn’t reside there, but he avoided prosecution.
In addition, Bannon’s defense team and he both displayed an awareness that their arguments were unimportant. Glenn Kirschner, a former prosecutor and frequent “ReidOut” guest observed from inside the courtroom that Team Bannon had not even presented a case.
