(NEW YORK) — Steve Bannon, a onetime political adviser to former President Donald Trump, surrendered Thursday to authorities in New York to face felony charges linked to his role in “We Build the Wall,” an online fundraising campaign for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The indictment charges Bannon and “We Build the Wall” itself with two counts of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison. There are additional felony counts of conspiracy and scheme to defraud along with one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to defraud.
The state charges, brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, resemble federal charges for which Bannon received a pardon by Trump and allege Bannon and “We Build the Wall” defrauded 430 Manhattan-based donors out of $33,600. Across New York state, there were more than 11,000 donors defrauded out of more than $730,000, according to the indictment.
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