Steve Bannon reportedly in plea deal talks over charges he defrauded border wall donors
Steve Bannon has discussed with New York state prosecutors a potential plea deal in its criminal case charging the longtime ally of President Donald Trump with defrauding donors to a southern border wall, according to media reports.
Bannon, a right-wing political strategist and media figure, was accused by New York prosecutors of falsely promising donors that their contributions would be used for the wall when he was associated with an organization called We Build the Wall.
But Bannon participated in a conspiracy to send hundreds of thousands of dollars to the organization's officers, according to prosecutors.
Reuters and the New York Daily News both reported Monday that Bannon's legal team discussed a potential plea deal to resolve the charges, each citing an anonymous source.
Law360, a legal news publication, reported Monday that a lawyer for Bannon, John F. Carman, said it "is anticipated that Mr. Bannon will plead guilty tomorrow under an agreement with the district attorney and the court that he will not receive a sentence that includes any jail time."
Carman, Bannon defense lawyer Arthur Aidala, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office didn't respond to Paste BN's requests for comment.
Trump issued a pardon for Bannon when he faced similar federal charges during the Republican's first term as president. The presidential pardon power doesn't apply to state charges such as the New York ones Bannon faces.
Bannon has already served a four-month prison sentence after defying a subpoena from the House committee the investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. He was released from prison in late October.
Bannon served as White House chief strategist for about eight months at the start of the first Trump administration. He is a podcast host and former media executive for far-right news site Breitbart News.