Steve Bannon Arrested: Mr. Bannon and the other three defendants are accused of participating in a plan to divert construction funds for personal benefit. On Thursday, former Trump strategist and architect of his 2016 general election campaign Stephen K. Bannon were charged with scamming donors to a private fund-raising operation called We Build the Wall.
The endeavor was to boost the president’s centerpiece program along the Mexican border. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed an indictment against Mr. Bannon, a wounded Air Force veteran, and a Florida venture capitalist for their role in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors into believing their contributions were earmarked for the construction of new wall segments.
Prosecutors claim Mr. Bannon spent over $1 million of the over $25 million raised on personal expenses. Mr. Bannon, who attempts to portray himself as a populist, was arrested at 7:15 a.m. on the $35 million, the 150-foot yacht of his friend, the fugitive Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui, according to law enforcement.
The officials said that federal postal inspectors and special agents from the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office boarded the yacht off the coast of Connecticut near Westbrook. Mr. Bannon, then 66 years old, was out on deck sipping coffee and reading when the attack came.
A week before accepting the Republican nomination for a second term, Mr. Trump’s fortunes dramatically turned when criminal charges were filed against the flamboyant political strategist. Mr. Bannon first gained notoriety as the conservative news site Breitbart leader, where he was associated with the alt-right.
The alt-right is a loose network of organizations and individuals who advocate for white identity. Mr. Bannon, early on in the Trump administration as chief strategist, was one of the most dominant players in the White House, but he resigned in August 2017 after often fighting with other staffers.
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, former National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn, and former lawyer and fixer Michael D. Cohen are among the other Trump associates who have been indicted along with Mr. Bannon.
For acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan Audrey Strauss, whose predecessor, Geoffrey S. Berman, was sacked by Mr. Trump in June, the 24-page indictment unsealed in Federal District Court in Manhattan is by far the most politically sensitive case she has handled. If you think this is interesting, please share it with your friends. For more updates and the latest news regarding celebrities, Visit Newswatchlist.com.