Steve Bannon, a former White House advisor for Donald Trump, recently revealed the day he was arrested on money laundering and conspiracy charges was actually "one of the best days" of his life.
On Friday, September 9, Bannon recalled his arrest during the latest episode of his podcast. Back in 2021, Bannon was arrested on money laundering and conspiracy in connection with a financial plot involving the "We Build the Wall" fundraising effort.
Speaking to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Bannon said, "It was a very powerful, spiritual day for me. A lot of things came into high clarity."
Bannon went on to describe that day as "one of the best days of my life."
"I was totally in the zone — as you say in sports — the entire time," he continued, "They're not gonna shut me up."
Bannon's remarks came one day after he was indicted on money laundering and conspiracy charges related to the financial scheme.
Per Business Insider: "An indictment from the Manhattan district attorney's office alleged that Bannon had conspired with three men — Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, venture capitalist Andrew Badolato and Colorado businessman Timothy Shea — to launder money and commit fraud through a sham crowdfunded charity."
In 2020, federal prosecutors alleged Bannon and other Trump allies had defrauded Trump supporters who donated money to contribute to the border wall being built.
At the time, acting Manhattan US attorney Audrey Strauss released a statement about the plot. "As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction," Strauss said at the time.
"While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle."
Like many other Trump allies, Bannon received a pardon from Trump during the final days of his presidency. However, it is important to note that presidential pardons typically apply to federal crimes. So, if state-level prosecutors opt to further investigate the case, they do have the ability to file new charges.
