Steve Bannon will reportedly surrender to face New York criminal charges sidestepping Trump pardon


A New York grand jury in Manhattan has indicted Steve Bannon, one-time chief strategist for former President Donald Trump, and he is expected to surrender to prosecutors on Thursday, The Washington Post and The Associated Press report. "The precise details of the state case could not be confirmed Tuesday evening," the Post adds, but the criminal charges will likely mirror federal fraud charges Bannon faced in 2020, before Trump pardoned him right before leaving office. Presidential pardons don't cover state charges.
Trump pardoned Bannon for his involvement in a private U.S.-Mexico border wall endeavor called "Build the Wall," before Bannon went to trial for allegedly defrauding investors of $25 million. Trump did not grant clemency to Bannon's three co-defendants. Two of them pleaded guilty to the federal fraud charges in April, and the trial of a fourth co-defendant, Timothy Shea, was declared a mistrial in June after the jury deadlocked.
The Manhattan district attorney's office has been considering filing a similar fraud case against Bannon for more than a year, but prosecutors waited until the federal cases wrapped up before deciding whether to charge him, CNN reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bannon, who is scheduled to be sentenced in October for his July federal contempt of Congress conviction, said in a statement that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has "decided to pursue phony charges against me 60 days before the midterm election." Federal prosecutors "did the exact same thing in August 2020 to try to take me out of the election," he added. "It didn't work then, it certainly won't work now." His statement did not mention Trump's pardon.
The previous Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance, tried to prosecute a different Trump campaign official, Paul Manafort, in 2019 on charges similar to a federal mortgage fraud case. But a state judge threw out Vance's case on double-jeopardy grounds, after Manafort was convicted on the federal charges and before Trump gave him a pardon.
Bannon won't be similarly protected because he was pardoned before his case went to trial, AP reports, and because "while Manafort's New York case was pending, New York eased its double jeopardy protections, ensuring that state-level prosecutors could pursue charges against anyone granted a presidential pardon for similar federal crimes."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Apple bows to Trump administration pressure over ICE tracking apps
In the Spotlight It’s the latest company to capitulate to Trump’s demands
-
Can TrumpRx really lower drug prices?
Today’s Big Question Pfizer’s deal with Trump sent drugmaker stocks higher
-
‘Every argument has a rational, emotional, and rhetorical component’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace plan
Speed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
The dark history of myths about immigrants eating swans and pets
In the Spotlight Nigel Farage has mimicked Donald Trump and peddled tropes and rumours that have long been used to ‘dehumanise’ immigrants
-
What would happen if Israel lost America’s support?
Today’s big question Loss of US backing could be a ‘catastrophe’ for Israel
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian state
Speed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine