NEW YORK — Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon turned himself in at the Manhattan district attorney’s office Thursday to face money laundering and fraud charges in connection with the “We Build the Wall” fund-raising scam.
The rabble-rousing right-wing political strategist previously faced federal charges for the crowdfunding scheme, for which former President Donald Trump pardoned him during a clemency blitz in his final hours in office. The pardon did not spare Bannon from state prosecution.
Bannon had a smirk on his face as court officers walked him into Judge Juan Merchan’s packed 15th-floor courtroom in handcuffs shortly after 2 p.m. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering, three counts of conspiracy and one count of scheme to defraud. A representative of We Build the Wall Inc., entered a not guilty plea on the company’s behalf.
