A former White House strategist's controversial border wall campaign faces new scrutiny in a Manhattan courtroom.
According to AP News, Steve Bannon's trial concerning the "We Build The Wall" fundraising campaign has been postponed to February 2025, as prosecutors revealed his own initial skepticism about the project's feasibility.
The case centers on the 2018 fundraising initiative that collected over $20 million from 325,000 donors for private border wall construction.
The project encountered multiple obstacles, including issues with the International Boundary and Water Commission and criticism from then-President Donald Trump, despite being created to support his border policy.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Levinson disclosed Bannon's early reservations about the project through an email where the former Trump adviser questioned its legitimacy. According to Levinson, Bannon later changed his stance after recognizing potential financial benefits for his own nonprofit organization, Citizens of the American Republic (COAR).
The prosecution revealed that COAR received substantial funds from WeBuildTheWall during a period when Bannon's organization was negotiating a $612,000 credit card debt with American Express. This financial relationship became evident through Bannon's urgent requests for additional funding from the wall project.
Bannon's defense team, led by John Carman, maintains that all financial transactions were legitimate compensation for services rendered. They argue that COAR was entitled to use the funds as they saw fit, including payments to Brian Kolfage, the disabled veteran who initiated the campaign.
Manhattan Judge April Newbauer has set February 25 as the new trial date, with jury selection scheduled to begin then. The prosecution has requested an anonymous jury, though this matter remains undecided.
Bannon, who participated virtually in Monday's hearing, faces state charges of conspiracy and money laundering. These charges were brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg following Trump's pardon of Bannon in a related federal case.
The case particularly focuses on payments to Brian Kolfage, who initially promised donors he wouldn't accept compensation but later admitted to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars, with $140,000 channeled through Bannon's COAR organization.
The case against Steve Bannon, a key figure in Donald Trump's political orbit, highlights alleged financial improprieties in the border wall fundraising campaign.
The trial's postponement to February 2025 allows both prosecution and defense teams to prepare their cases, including the addition of financial experts to address the complex money trail.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on examining the flow of donor funds through various organizations and determining whether these transactions constituted legitimate business operations or, as prosecutors allege, part of a broader scheme to deceive donors and personally benefit the participants.
