Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for Donald Trump, issued a strong warning to government officials and prosecutors as his trial on charges related to the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign opened today in New York. Speaking to reporters ahead of the proceedings, Bannon claimed that a recent political shift signals public rejection of what he calls “lawfare” tactics.
Referring to Trump’s landslide victory in the 2024 election, Bannon asserted that American citizens have expressed their disapproval of the legal cases targeting Trump and his allies. He directed his statement specifically at prominent government figures involved in these cases, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and New York officials Letitia James and Alvin Bragg.
“The lawfare with Tish James and Alvin Bragg, and Jack Smith, and Merrick Garland has been rejected by a landslide by the American people. So the one thing I have to say to Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Jack Smith, Tish James, Alvin Bragg – you wait. The hunted are about to become the hunters,” Bannon asserted, in a message aimed at high-profile prosecutors and federal officials.
A presidential pardon from Trump in January 2021 shielded Bannon from the federal charges, but New York state prosecutors continued their investigation. In August 2022, Bannon was indicted in New York on fraud and money laundering charges related to the same fundraising campaign.
According to prosecutors, Bannon allegedly diverted funds from the campaign using a nonprofit he controlled and a shell company owned by another defendant. The indictment also claims that Bannon and his co-defendants paid themselves using donations, spending money on travel, credit card payments, and personal expenses.
Throughout the legal battles, Bannon has consistently dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, often attributing his prosecution to an agenda driven by high-profile figures like leftist billionaire George Soros.
Bannon, who previously served a jail sentence for contempt of Congress in 2022, has maintained that his work with Trump on immigration and border security aligns with the interests of working-class Americans, a sentiment he reiterated outside the courthouse.
Bannon’s current trial, initially slated for May 2024, faced delays as it awaited reassignment to Judge April Newbauer. This shift came after the original judge, Juan Merchan, was also overseeing other high-profile cases involving Trump, including the “hush money” case in Manhattan. Judge Newbauer later set the trial date for December 2024.