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Presidential Clemency Record

Stephen Bannon

Pardon

  /   2017–2021

Record at a Glance

Clemency type
Pardon
Presidential term
2017–2021
Federal district
Southern District of New York
Offense
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering
Sentence
N/A
Current status
Later contempt-of-Congress and New York matters are separate from the dismissed federal prosecution and are documented separately in the post-clemency record.

Original Case

Federal prosecutors charged Stephen Bannon and three other men in August 2020 over the We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign, which raised more than $25 million from hundreds of thousands of donors. The indictment alleged that organizers promised the public that donations would be used for border-wall construction and that campaign founder Brian Kolfage would receive no compensation. Prosecutors alleged instead that money was routed through a nonprofit controlled by Bannon and through sham invoices and vendor arrangements, with more than $1 million passing through Bannon's nonprofit and at least some of it paying his personal expenses. Bannon was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Those charges remained allegations: Trump pardoned him before trial, and the Southern District of New York dismissed the indictment as to Bannon in May 2021 because of the pardon. The dismissal did not produce a verdict on the allegations.

Clemency

Trump granted Bannon a full and unconditional pardon on January 19, 2021, before the federal We Build the Wall case reached trial. The Southern District of New York later dismissed that indictment as to Bannon because of the pardon. The grant applied to the federal prosecution; it did not cover Bannon's later state or federal cases.

Trump Connection

Bannon became chief executive of Trump's presidential campaign in August 2016 and then served in the White House as chief strategist and senior counselor during the first seven months of the administration. He remained a prominent figure in the political movement surrounding Trump after leaving government, although their public relationship also included periods of conflict. Trump pardoned Bannon in the final hours of his first term, before the federal fraud case went to trial. The White House described Bannon as an important conservative leader known for political skill and referred generally to the fraud charges arising from his political project. It did not name an outside clemency advocate or give a more specific case-based rationale.

Since Clemency

  • 2025-02-11 · criminal case

    Bannon pleaded guilty to New York first-degree scheme to defraud in the We Build the Wall matter. His agreement imposed a three-year conditional discharge and charity/data restrictions.

    Legal Status: State felony guilty plea; not covered by the federal pardon.

  • 2022-07-22 / 2022-10-21 · criminal conviction and sentence

    A jury convicted Bannon of two contempt-of-Congress counts for refusing testimony and documents demanded by the January 6 committee. He received concurrent four-month sentences and a $6,500 fine.

    Legal Status: Separate criminal case arising after the 2021 pardon.

  • 2026-04-06 · criminal appellate proceeding

    The Supreme Court vacated the D.C. Circuit judgment and remanded for consideration of the government's pending motion to dismiss the indictment.

    Legal Status: Remand of appellate judgment; not an order itself dismissing the indictment.

  • 2026-08-26 · criminal proceeding

    Judge Carl Nichols denied DOJ's dismissal request because its explanation was inadequate, permitting a renewed motion. AP reported Bannon had already served the four-month sentence.

    Legal Status: Dismissal denied without foreclosing a renewed request; not an acquittal.

Sources

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