Joe.My.God. LGBT News
ABC News reports:
Steve Bannon, the confidante of President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding New Yorkers who donated to “We Build the Wall,” an online fundraiser for Trump’s signature project during his first term, in exchange for a sentence without prison time.
“The parties have worked out a plea agreement. Mr. Bannon will plead guilty to count 5 of the indictment, which is scheme to defraud in the indictment. He will receive a conditional discharge,” prosecutor Jeffrey Levinson said.
The guilty plea to the felony charge represents Bannon’s second criminal conviction after he served prison time for contempt of Congress.
CBS News reports:
The sentence means he can’t serve as the director of any nonprofit in New York or raise money for charities with assets in the state. He was also forbidden from using donor data stemming from the scheme.
Bannon was charged in September 2022 for his role in an organization that raised millions for an effort to privately build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bannon and the group, which was called We Build the Wall, were accused of defrauding donors of $15 million in donations, though Bannon’s lawyer said Tuesday he didn’t personally pocket any of the money.
In April 2023, Bannon’s co-conspirator Brian Kolfage was sentenced to four years and ordered to “forfeit $17,872,106 and pay $2,877,414 in restitution.” Kolfage got his start in the MAGA-verse with a raft of fake news websites that reportedly netted him $200,000/month, mostly due to referrals from Facebook. Kolfage allegedly spent some of the scammed donations on cosmetic surgery, lavish vacations, luxury vehicles, and a boat.
Breaking News: Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to President Trump, pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who sought to help build a southern border wall. He won’t serve prison time.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) February 11, 2025 at 10:37 AM