Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon will stand trial beginning Dec. 9 on charges he defrauded donors to an online effort to raise money for a wall along the U.S. southern border.
During a brief hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said they would take three to four days to present evidence. Defense attorneys expected their case to last two days.
Bannon, who is currently serving a federal prison sentence for contempt of Congress, did not attend the hearing.
“Mr. Bannon was excused by the court,” Judge April Newbauer said.
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Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is set to stand trial in December for his alleged involvement in a fraudulent fundraising scheme known as We Build the Wall. Bannon, along with three other individuals, was indicted in August on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with the campaign to raise money for a privately funded border wall along the US-Mexico border.
The We Build the Wall campaign was launched in 2018 with the goal of raising $1 billion to construct a wall along the southern border. Bannon, who served as the campaign’s leader, allegedly promised donors that 100% of the funds raised would go towards building the wall. However, prosecutors claim that Bannon and his co-defendants used hundreds of thousands of dollars from the campaign for personal expenses, including luxury cars, travel, and credit card debt.
The indictment against Bannon alleges that he and his co-defendants used a non-profit organization called “We Build the Wall, Inc.” to funnel donations into their own pockets. They are accused of using false invoices and fake vendor agreements to conceal their scheme and deceive donors into believing that their money was being used for its intended purpose.
Bannon has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the charges against him. His trial is scheduled to begin on December 14th in a federal court in Manhattan. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
The case against Bannon has drawn widespread attention and criticism, with many questioning the ethics of using a crowdfunding campaign to finance a border wall and the alleged misuse of funds by those involved. The trial is expected to shed light on the inner workings of the We Build the Wall campaign and could have far-reaching implications for other high-profile fundraising efforts in the future.
As the trial approaches, all eyes will be on Steve Bannon and his co-defendants as they face the legal consequences of their alleged actions. The outcome of the trial could have a significant impact on the future of political fundraising and the accountability of those who seek to profit from public donations.
