Steve Bannon has pleaded guilty in connection with the New York 'We Build the Wall' case.

As part of the plea agreement, the former Trump White House adviser will avoid any jail sentence. 

Steve Bannon attends a hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court on Nov. 12, 2024.

Feb. 11, 2025, 9:45 PM GMT+6

Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to felony fraud on Tuesday for defrauding donors who contributed money to fund a wall along the southern U.S. border.

In return for the guilty plea in a New York criminal court, Bannon, 71, received a conditional discharge and waived his right to appeal.

Bannon was sentenced to three years of conditional discharge. Under the terms of the sentence, he is prohibited from serving as an officer or director of any charity or nonprofit organization in New York state, or being involved in fundraising efforts within the state. He is also barred from holding assets for any charitable organizations. During this period, he is also exempt from arrest.

Should he violate any conditions, Bannon could face a prison sentence of between 1 1/3 to 4 years.

Judge April Newbauer asked Bannon if he understood the agreement, to which Bannon responded, “Yes, your honor.”

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “This resolution achieves our primary goal: to protect New York’s charities and New Yorkers’ charitable giving from fraud."

After court, Bannon did not express remorse, instead calling Bragg and state Attorney General Letitia James an "existential threat" to the Trump administration, referencing the legal actions taken against Trump by both officials.

Bannon was initially charged in connection with the scheme in a separate case in August 2020 by federal prosecutors. He pleaded not guilty at the time and was granted a pardon by Trump during the final hours of his presidency.

In August 2022, Bannon was recharged in the current case by prosecutors from Bragg's office, facing six counts of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud. Bannon again pleaded not guilty, calling the case a “partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system.”

The indictment accused Bannon and others of defrauding donors who contributed over $15 million in 2019 for the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign, which aimed to fund a southern border wall, a promise made during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Bannon and his associates claimed that 100% of the donations would go directly to the construction of the wall, but federal authorities said Bannon used his nonprofit to funnel over $1 million in funds to pay the wall group's president.

Bannon had been set to stand trial on March 4, but Trump could not pardon him due to the state charges, which are not eligible for a presidential pardon.