Defense lawyer David Schoen, who defended Trump during his second impeachment trial, entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Bannon, who was released without bail pending an Oct. 4 court hearing.
Former President Trump pardoned Bannon last year for the border wall scam.
By Snejana Farberov, Khristina Narizhnaya and Bruce Golding ~ The New York Post
Former President Donald Trump’s strategist Steve Bannon surrendered Thursday to face new charges in an alleged $15 million border-wall fundraising scam for which Trump pardoned him last year.
Bannon lashed out at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as he was escorted into the DA’s Lower Manhattan headquarters, accusing the progressive Democrat of mounting a political prosecution to influence the upcoming midterm elections.
“This is all about 60 days to the day,” he said in a reference to Nov. 8, which is Election Day.
Bannon also invoked a trip by city officials who were sent on a “fact-finding” mission to the southern border by Mayor Eric Adams amid his clash with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the relocation of migrants to the Big Apple.
“This is an irony: on the very day the mayor of this city has a delegation down on the border, they’re persecuting people here,” he said.