Former Trump advisor Bannon to surrender, face fraud charges

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Sep 14:47
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Bannon will be surrendering on Thursday in the Manhattan prosecutor's office.

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon after departing federal court on November 15, 2021, in Washington. (AP)

Former advisor to Donald Trump Steve Bannon will be appearing in court on Thursday in the case of misappropriation of funds for the construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico.

According to US media, Bannon will be charged with fraud.

The former advisor's lawyer, Robert Costello, said Bannon was on his way to New York to surrender to the prosecutor and face the charges.

The nature of the charge wasn't publicized as the indictment was sealed. However, the Washington Post, CNBC, and CNN reported that it relates to the same case which indicted Bannon for financial fraud, when he was arrested in August 2020 for embezzling a fraction of $25 million of donor funds for a wall.

Bannon, in a statement, denounced "bogus lawsuits" against him two months before the legislative elections in early November.

Regarding the House committee investigation into the January 6, 2021 assault on Capitol Hill, Bannon also refused to cooperate, which led him to be guilty of contempt.

Bannon guilty of 2 accounts of contempt of Congress

Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress in July after a brief trial that featured only two government witnesses, both of whom detailed the longtime Donald Trump aide's defiance of a House committee's demand for records and testimony in its investigation of the Capitol attack.

The federal court jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching its decision, handing victories to the special House committee that initiated the contempt proceedings as well as the Justice Department's prosecution. Sentencing is set for October 21.

Prosecutors urged conviction in closing arguments, claiming that Bannon "chose allegiance to Donald Trump" over an obligation to comply with Congress.

"The defendant made a deliberate decision not to comply," Assistant US Attorney Molly Gaston told jurors. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is contempt. We are here because the defendant has contempt for Congress.

"He has contempt for our system of government and does not believe he has to abide by the rules. Find him guilty."