The trial for Steve Bannon, a close ally of Donald Trump, regarding allegations of defrauding donors to a campaign aimed at building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been postponed for several months.
Bannon, a former senior adviser at the White House, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud related to the $15 million raised by the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign.
Originally scheduled to commence on May 27 at the New York Supreme Criminal Court under Judge Juan Merchan, the trial has been pushed back to September. This delay is due in part to Judge Merchan also presiding over Trump’s trial in New York, separate from Bannon’s case, which is anticipated to extend for several more weeks.
Bannon’s next court appearance in relation to the fraud case is slated for September 23.
In September 2022, Bannon was indicted on money laundering charges linked to a GoFundMe campaign for the border wall, a cornerstone promise of Trump’s 2016 campaign. He had previously faced similar federal charges, but was pardoned by Trump just before the end of his presidency in January 2021.
However, Manhattan prosecutors revived the case in September 2022, pursuing state-level charges against Bannon, which are beyond the scope of presidential pardons.
Bannon also faced repercussions for defying a congressional subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack, resulting in two counts of contempt of Congress in July 2022. He remains free pending an appeal.
In April 2023, Brian Kolfage, the founder of “We Build the Wall,” was sentenced to over four years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and other related charges. Co-defendant Andrew Badolato also pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and received a three-year sentence. Timothy Shea, another defendant, was convicted at trial of wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 63 months in prison in July, along with financial penalties including forfeiture and restitution. The trio were found to have orchestrated a scheme to divert donations to the campaign through controlled entities and accounts, using fake documents to obscure the transactions.