Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist, is expected to show up to turn himself in at some point this week in the wake of reportedly being officially indicted on charges at the state level in relation to the federal charges that he was slammed with back in 2020 due to a fraud scheme. He later was issued a pardon from former President Donald Trump for the federal case during the final days of the administration before the trial even had a chance to come to its natural end.
Bannon was first charged back in August 2020 for allegedly defrauding those who chose to donate funds to a crowdfunding campaign trying to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He was accused of trying to steal $1 million from more than $25 million that was raised to pay an alleged co-conspirator and multiple thousands in personal expenses.
The other pair of men also charged in the scheme, Andrew Badolato and Brian Kolfage, chose to plead guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to try and commit wire fraud, which sports a 20-year maximum sentence in federal prison, explained the Department of Justice in a release. Kolfage also pled guilty to wire and tax fraud charges which were filed by the office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
It was reported by the Washington Post that the state case would be dealt with by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The state’s investigation of Bannon first kicked off under the predecessor for Bragg, Cyrus R. Vance Jr.
The report read that Bannon was expected to show up and turn himself in on Thursday.
The new indictment that Bannon is dealing with takes place after he was found guilty of one count of contempt in relation to his refusal to appear for a deposition and another one involving his overt refusal to furnish documents for the January 6th House Select Committee. He is slated to be sentenced in the case on the 21st of October, 2022. Each of those counts could end up seeing a maximum of 30 days in jail and various fines which can range from $100 to over $100,000.
“The subpoena to Stephen Bannon was not an invitation that could be rejected or ignored,” stated U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “Mr. Bannon had an obligation to appear before the House Select Committee to give testimony and provide documents. His refusal to do so was deliberate and now a jury has found that he must pay the consequences.”
“The tenets of our government rely upon citizens adhering to the established rules of law. Lawful tools, such as subpoenas and other legal orders, are critical in our system of government,” claimed the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, Steven M. D’Antuono. “Mr. Bannon was found guilty of contempt by a jury of his peers for his choice to ignore a lawful subpoena. The FBI will continue our sworn duty to investigate those who have committed violations of our laws and hold them accountable for their actions.”