Steve Bannon’s ‘We Build The Wall’ Fraud Trial Scheduled for 2024

Former White House advisor Steven Bannon is scheduled to go on trial in May 2024 for allegedly defrauding donors of a border wall fundraising effort. 

The Manhattan Supreme Court trial is slated to begin May 27, 2024, according to a spokesperson from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. 

The trial date was set in a brief hearing Thursday morning by Judge Juan Merchan. Bannon is accused of conspiring with others to launder money they netted from the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign during Donald Trump’s presidency. 

Merchan is also presiding over Donald Trump's ongoing criminal case related to the former president's alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case and a trial is scheduled to begin in March.

Bannon and his alleged co-conspirators allegedly told donors all of the cash raised would be spent to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Prosecutors say the group actually paid the fund's president more than $250,000 in 2019.

Bannon is accused of attempting to launder $100,000 of the proceeds through another non-profit. The funds were then allegedly paid to the president of the "We Build the Wall"organization.

Bannon was previously indicted for the alleged scheme in federal court in Manhattan, but was pardoned by former president Trump in the case. 

Two “We Build the Wall” executives, Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in the federal case in 2022 and were sentenced to prison earlier this year.

Kolfage was sentenced to more than four years in prison and Badolato received three years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A third alleged co-conspirator, Timothy Shea, was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and falsification of documents. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

Bannon faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the money laundering charge.

As he left the courthouse Thursday, Bannon told reporters, “We’ll see you back here in May.”