Bannon charged with money laundering, conspiracy in 'We Build the Wall'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

NEW YORK — Stephen K. Bannon has been charged with money laundering, fraud and conspiracy in connection with the “We Build the Wall” fundraising scheme, for which he received a federal pardon during Donald Trump’s final days in the White House. Bannon, 68, was convicted this summer of contempt of Congress and is awaiting sentencing in that matter. He surrendered to prosecutors in Manhattan Thursday morning on the charges outlined in a newly unsealed state indictment and is expected to appear in court in the afternoon.

Arriving at the Manhattan district attorney’s office in a black SUV shortly after 9 a.m., Bannon stopped to shake hands with his attorneys before speaking briefly to a horde of journalists. In his remarks, he echoed past declarations that he was being prosecuted for political reasons, including in an effort to influence November’s upcoming midterm congressional elections. “This is all about 60 days until the day!” he said, before being escorted into the building.

Bannon’s case will be handled in New York Supreme Court by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James. In a statement issued after the indictment was unsealed, 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.” Bannon “took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated,” James said in her own prepared remarks. “Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friends.”

In August 2020, Bannon was yanked off a yacht by law enforcement agents to face his indictment in the federal “We Build the Wall” case. In that indictment, he was accused of personally pocketing $1 million from “We Build the Wall,” a Trump-aligned cash collection drive that Bannon helped to orchestrate starting in December 2018. Bannon pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the fundraising case and was released on a $5 million bond. Trump pardoned him just before leaving office.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/08/bannon-surrender-ny-prosecutors-border-wall-fund-fraud/

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No paywall link

Article updated. Last update -

NEW YORK -- Stephen K. Bannon has been charged with money laundering and conspiracy in connection with the "We Build the Wall" fundraising scheme, for which he received a federal pardon during Donald Trump's final days in the White House.

Bannon, 68, who was convicted this summer of contempt of Congress and is awaiting sentencing in that matter, surrendered to prosecutors Thursday morning and is expected to appear in court in the afternoon. According to an indictment unsealed Thursday, he is charged with scheme to defraud, money laundering and conspiracy.

Arriving at the Manhattan district attorney's office in a black SUV shortly after 9 a.m., Bannon stopped to shake hands with his attorneys before speaking briefly to a horde of journalists. In his remarks, he echoed past declarations that he was being prosecuted for political reasons, including in an effort to influence November's upcoming midterm congressional elections.

"This is all about 60 days until the day!" he said, before being escorted into the building. Prosecutors are expected to discuss the indictment at a 1 p.m. new conference. Bannon's case will be handled in New York Supreme Court by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Spokespeople in both offices have declined to comment on what is still a sealed matter.

[link:https://archive.ph/Cdh01No paywall link]

Original article -

BREAKING: Longtime Trump strategist and podcaster Steven K. Bannon has been charged with money laundering and conspiracy in connection with the "We Build the Wall" fundraising scheme, for which he received a presidential pardon during Donald Trump's final days in office.

Bannon's three-count indictment, which was unsealed Thursday morning, includes charges of money laundering in the first and second degrees and conspiracy in the forth degree. On the top count he faces up to 15 years in prison but none of the counts carry a mandatory minimum term of incarceration upon conviction.

This is a developing story. It will be updated. Original story below.

[hlthe2b]

1. Up to 15 years... Hmmm.

We shall see, but I'll bet Bannon thought his only issues were with his few weeks pending over a contempt charge from the 01/06 committee.

[rubbersole]

2. Stevie won't do well on Rikers Island.

[Sneederbunk]

4. Then again, he might fit right in.

[rubbersole]

6. In the nazi wing.

Put him in the general population. Squeal like a pig...

[NJCher]

14. well, look at this video

Shaking hands, giving a speech, lotsa' hands on back:

Acts like it's a celebrity occasion, so maybe he's excited about meeting up with his nazi buddies in the nazi wing.

[rubbersole]

20. Maybe he'll get an honorary swastika tattoo on his forehead.

Charles Manson wore it well.

[KS Toronado]

32. Tattoo like they gave in Inglourious Basterds would be fitting.

He deserves one

[VWolf]

23. Fascists gonna fasct

(Stole that one from twitter)

[magicarpet]

7. Oh Bannon will love the place...

Golf course, bocci courts, billiard tables, and Olympic sized swimming pools for recreational periods.

There is a delightful daily happy hour which Bannon should particularly like. At Riker's Island they have an all you can drink Manhattan or martini brunch.

They might even let Bannon do his daily Nazi podcast from the jailhouse inmate media and computer center.

It will be like one grand vacation for Bannon.
I hope he gets locked up for thirty years.
Riker's Island is the perfect place to park him.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

9. No, and this is run of the mill criminal greed, not political. Tough to make a silk purse of this!

[calimary]

35. Sure works for me!

Schmuck deserves all the worst.

Hope his life in custody won't be full of more outbursts and tweets and whatever other crap he wants to shit all over the rest of the country (if not the world).

May the donald join him soon.

[Bengus81]

3. YES!! And the icing are the MAGOT fools who shoveled him and Kolfage all that cash

Now their emptying their checking accounts and sending it to Trump once again.

[vlyons]

5. I'm sad that a former US naval officer could be in this situation

All his bad decisions and greed have landed him where he is. Didn't the navy teach him any self-discipline and honor? What happened to this man to turn him into such a despicable asshole loser?
A wasted life. And for what?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Not just Navy

any of these guys in the military. I saw some analysis alert banner about Flynn yesterday. Never got chance to read the piece yet but it is this -

Michael Flynn: From government insider to holy warrior

By MICHELLE R. SMITH
yesterday


BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP) — The crowd swayed on its feet, arms pumping, the beat of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” thumping in their chests. The people under the revival tent hooted as Michael Flynn strode across the stage, bopping and laughing, singing the refrain into his microphone and encouraging the audience to sing along to the transgressive rock anthem. “We’ll fight the powers that be just/Don’t pick our destiny ’cause/You don’t know us, you don’t belong!”

The emcee introduced him as “America’s General,” but to those in the audience, Flynn is far more than that: martyr, hero, leader, patriot, warrior. The retired lieutenant general, former national security adviser, onetime anti-terrorism fighter, is now focused on his next task: building a movement centered on Christian nationalist ideas, where Christianity is at the center of American life and institutions.

Flynn brought his fight — a struggle he calls both spiritual and political — last month to a church in Batavia, New York, where thousands of people paid anywhere from a few dollars to up to $500 to hear and absorb his message that the United States is facing an existential threat, and that to save the nation, his supporters must act.

Flynn, 63, has used public appearances to energize voters, along with political endorsements to build alliances and a network of nonprofit groups — one of which has projected spending $50 million — to advance the movement, an investigation by The Associated Press and the PBS series “Frontline” has found. He has drawn together election deniers, mask and vaccine opponents, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, and elected officials and leaders in state and local Republican parties. Along the way, the AP and “Frontline” documented, Flynn and his companies have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for his efforts.

(snip)

https://apnews.com/article/michael-flynn-christian-nationalism-investigation-50fa5dcff7f99cf93409fcd6c1357bee

And you have Doug Mastriano doing the same. They have all been cult-ified.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

11. The power of propaganda when it meets weak minds.

[Backseat Driver]

17. He learned the wrong things about self-discipline and honor where there is the conformity to follow

someone else's orders on up the line, and the line's already corrupted against itself through corporate personhood made legal, so he turned to anarchaic disruption and the churn that pours down $$ on the already well-positioned through the same social discriminations and criminal mindset of those he thought artful in getting away with it. What did he sacrifice to accomplish the difference between totalitarian purpose and gain from the willfully ignorant - a barber and a bath? That self-disciplined tongue and that honor of a moral compass! It's time to rope this dope, et al!

[Ray Bruns]

18. You can't teach honor to a person who has none.

[Martin68]

26. In many cases, service in the military teaches obedience, and a contempt for

civilians and their messy lives. I suspect this happens mainly to those who are predisposed to prefer an authoritarian system.

[Farmer-Rick]

30. I think he only made it to JG 02

I looked it up but the only 2 officer ranks I could find he held were 01 Ensign and 02 Lieutenant Junior Grade. These ranks were almost automatic when I was in the Navy. So, he didn't make it very far.

But then we also have the traitor Russian spy Army officer General Flynn an 09. He made it way up the Army ranks.

[GreenWave]

10. Plea bargain with the numbskull. Offer him 5 Neptunian years instead.

Psst. That's 60,182 days times 5!

[PSPS]

12. Probably get a PR bond with a trial maybe in a few years followed by decades of appeals.

[TeamProg]

13. No Steve, it's about fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. Read the charges you goof. n/t

[iluvtennis]

15. Bannon faces a potential sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted of money laundering...

...which is the most serious charge in the indictment. He faces two counts of that charge.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/trump-white-house-aide-steve-bannon-surrenders-to-face-criminal-charges.html

[Botany]

16. He was "being prosecuted for political reasons."

So the democrats made him run a grifting fund raising campaign to help build the border wall?

or

“This is all about 60 days until the day!” and what is he running for?

[NYC Liberal]

21. Don't you know? No politician or anyone involved in politics in any way

can be charged with any crime during an election year — and that includes local/municipal elections. So basically, if you’re involved in politics then you are above the law.

Oh this only applies to Republicans btw.

[twodogsbarking]

19. Didn't most people just assume that everyone involved in building the wall was crooked?

I did.

[Happy Hoosier]

22. Hard to lead a rebellion form jail. NT

[OneCrazyDiamond]

24. I may be wrong, but

I kinda like the MAGA crowd getting ripped off.

[riversedge]

40. # yes. but can not or do not want to believe it-yet.

[Martin68]

25. Ah, Sweet Justice!

I hope it's contagious.

[FakeNoose]

27. Didn't Chump pardon him for this already?

He got a last-minute pardon before Chump left office. I thought it was for this wall "charity" scam.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. These are state of NY charges. Federal pardons don't touch those!

[LeftInTX]

34. OK...It seems like a federal charge, but I know since NY is a financial capitol, they are able to

do things that other states can't do.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. The original federal case took place in SDNY

with this notation - https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/leaders-we-build-wall-online-fundraising-campaign-charged-defrauding-hundreds-thousands

Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA, and others, orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25 million to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised . . . will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose” because, as BANNON publicly stated, “we’re a volunteer organization.”

And I know previous Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr.. had been working on it on behalf of the state before sortof dropping it... but then Vance left and the new D.A. Alvin Bragg, picked it back up.

Link to tweet

Alvin Bragg
·
Sep 8, 2022
@ManhattanDA
·
Follow
Replying to @ManhattanDA
D.A. Bragg: “We are here with @NewYorkStateAG to say, in one voice, that in Manhattan and in New York State, you will be held accountable for defrauding donors.”
Image
Alvin Bragg
@ManhattanDA
·
Follow
Read the release:
manhattanda.org
D.A. Bragg, A.G. James Announce Indictment of Stephen Bannon for $15 Million “We Build The Wall”...
“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” said District Attorney Bragg. “As alleged, Stephen Bannon acted as the architect of a multi-million...
1:20 PM · Sep 8, 2022

I expect any state/locality who has people who were similarly defrauded, could file suit against him as well. (which is probably why they often go with "class action" type suits - with various DAs/AGs signing onto that)

[thesquanderer]

37. I think this phrase in the OP is key...

"including hundreds of Manhattan residents"

IOW, regardless of what he did elsewhere, and what federal crime he may have been pardoned for, he also acted criminally to defraud citizens of New York, which gives NY the grounds to pursue charges. Presumably, so could any other state where he arguably committed fraud.

Interestingly, it looks like if he had been convicted and then pardoned federally, NY would not be able to prosecute due to double jeopardy laws which prevent someone from being tried twice for the same crime. But since Bannon was pardoned before the federal case ever went to trial, this would not be trying him twice for the same crime since he has not yet been tried even once.

[jmowreader]

28. Steve Bannon will never go to Rikers Island so stop saying that

First, Rikers is not the only jail in New York City. They have fifteen jails and ten are on Rikers. They have...OTHER places to put him until he's convicted and sentenced. And second, according to New York state law you can only be in a city or county jail for a year. A year and a day gets you sent to a state prison. Bannon's looking at a LOT longer than that.

I would send the bastard to the Gouverneur Correctional Facility, because I know how fucked up the weather is in Gouverneur. (It is one of the villages Fort Drum has a housing area in.) I figure fifteen years of shoveling snow that reaches to the rooftops by December 15th will be good for him.

[KS Toronado]

31. That's a shame

" none of the counts carry a mandatory minimum term of incarceration upon conviction."

[Brainfodder]

33. Same thing he got pardoned by TFG federally for, while in prison?

WOWZA they might have a case!

[pfitz59]

38. Fry his ass

Cut his mike and delete his internet service.

[UpInArms]

39. Ollie North prolly gave lessons

On how to profit from being a complete con and criminal

[riversedge]

41. The Manhattan DA asked the judge to order Bannon to surrender any and all of his passports and not a

The Manhattan DA asked the judge to order Bannon to surrender any and all of his passports and not apply for any new passports while the case is pending. Bannon's lawyer said his client agreed.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=uICAcKGvKdahzgR6MYfeBQ

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=uICAcKGvKdahzgR6MYfeBQ

[keroro gunsou]

42. All it will take

Is one trumpanzee on the jury, and all this effort goes to waste. Hopefully they screen them out.

[rpannier]

43. Would gladly trade that video of him being hauled away in cuffs

if he were replaced by il douche