Soon after Trump’s former adviser finishes his four-month federal jail sentence for accusations of contempt of Congress, his trial is set to begin.
Steve Bannon’s involvement in the “We Build the Wall” fundraising fraud case will go on trial in December, according to a ruling made by a New York judge, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Wednesday.
The trial for Bannon, the former advisor to Donald Trump, is set to begin on December 9, not too long after he finishes his four-month sentence in federal jail after being found guilty of contempt of Congress in relation to a House committee’s probe that began on January 6.
Attorney John Carman representing Bannon said that his client “appreciates the court’s fairness in permitting a delay that will allow him to contribute to his own defense” when he was contacted for comment.
In 2022, Bannon faced accusations of cheating supporters who contributed to the charity organization We Build the Wall in order to construct a wall along the southern border of the United States. He entered a not guilty plea to the allegations, which included conspiracy, money laundering, and planning to defraud.
After Trump pardoned Bannon on charges pertaining to the same fraud by federal prosecutors, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office successfully prosecuted Trump this year for misleading financial statements, launched an inquiry into Bannon’s role in the alleged swindle. Only federal offenses are eligible for presidential pardons; state offenses are not.
Longtime Republican strategist Bannon is accused by Bragg’s office of defrauding donors by falsely claiming that the funds gathered will be used to build a wall along the southern border. Prosecutors claim that instead, the funds were used to enrich the organization’s president, Brian Kolfage, who is not included in the Bannon indictment. According to the indictment, Kolfage took home hundreds of thousands of dollars from the plan.
Prosecutors said that Bannon knew the organization made Kolfage known, who informed contributors he was paid “zero dollars for a salary and no compensation.” According to court documents, Bannon reiterated those assertions in June 2019 during a fundraising event, saying, “Remember, all the money you give goes to building the wall.”
Kolfage received an upfront payment of $100,000 as well as monthly installments of $20,000, which the indictment said amounted to approximately $250,000 in “secret salary payments.” In April 2023, he entered a guilty plea to federal charges and was subsequently sentenced to 51 months in prison for his involvement in the fundraising scheme.
Bragg said Bannon “acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country — including hundreds of Manhattan residents” at the time of the indictment.
“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” he added.
