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Steve Bannon has surrendered to New York prosecutors Thursday to face charges that he conned donors to raise money to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The former Donald Trump aide is being charged at the state level for conning donors into giving more than $25 million to help build a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon faced similar federal charges in 2020, but was pardoned by Trump on his last day in office.
Presidential pardons only apply to federal charges, not state charges.
As he arrived at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Bannon claimed his charges were politically motivated.
“This is irony, on the very day the mayor of this city has a delegation down on the border, they are persecuting people here,” Bannon told the crowd on his way to surrender.
Charges against Bannon include money laundering, conspiracy, and scheming to defraud Trump supporters.
Bannon, who has been under heavy scrutiny after being found in contempt of Congress, was charged federally for pocketing more than $1 million of the $25 million raised for the border wall.
Still, Bannon claims this was an attempt to take him out of the midterm elections, even though he is not running for office.
“I am never going to stop fighting. In fact, I have not yet begun to fight. They will have to kill me first,” he said.
Separately, Bannon also faces contempt of Congress charges over his refusal to cooperate with the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Steve Bannon was the chief strategist for Trump’s 2016 campaign, and later served as an advisor to the president.
“[District Attorney Alvin Bragg] has now decided to pursue phony charges against me 60 days before the midterm elections,” Bannon said.
President Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office ending construction of Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Bannon is scheduled to be sentenced in October for his contempt of Congress charge and faces a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.