By Luc Cohen and Jack Queen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon is expected in a Manhattan court on Tuesday following discussions between his lawyers and prosecutors over a possible plea deal to resolve a criminal case over his crowdfunding campaign for the U.S. president’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bannon, 71, was charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office with money laundering and conspiracy for allegedly deceiving donors in 2019 who contributed more than $15 million to a private fundraising drive, known as “We Build the Wall,” during Trump’s first term in the White House.
Bannon had previously pleaded not guilty, but his lawyers have been discussing a possible plea deal with prosecutors, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Bannon’s trial is scheduled for March 4, and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for Tuesday before Justice April Newbauer in New York state criminal court.
Legal trade publication Law360 reported on Monday that Bannon plans to plead guilty, citing his defense lawyer John Carman.
“It is anticipated that Mr. Bannon will plead guilty tomorrow under an agreement with the district attorney and the court that he will not receive a sentence that includes any jail time,” Carman was quoted as saying.
Neither Carman nor a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office responded to requests for comment on Monday.
Construction of a border wall was a key element of Trump’s immigration policies during his first presidency, supported by his fellow Republicans but opposed by immigrant advocacy groups.
Trump has again made cracking down on illegal immigration a centerpiece of his second term as president.
Bannon was an adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, then served as his chief White House strategist in 2017 before they had a falling-out, which was later patched up. Bannon also has played an instrumental role in right-wing media.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan brought similar charges against Bannon in 2020, but Trump pardoned him in his final hours in the White House the following year. Trump cannot pardon Bannon on Bragg’s charges because they were brought at the state level.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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