John Nacion/NurPhoto via AP
A New York state judge ruled Steve Bannon must pay $480,487.87 to a law firm that helped secure his pardon from former President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Judge Arlene Bluth ordered the former Trump adviser to pay Davidoff Hutcher & Citron the amount stemming from services rendered over a two-year period. The firm sued Bannon after he stopped paying legal bills in late 2022.
Trump pardoned Bannon in the waning hours of his presidency while the latter was under federal indictment for allegedly bilking thousands of donors. Bannon claimed he was raising money for a venture called We Build the Wall to help build a barrier on the southern border.
His two co-defendants in the case were not so fortunate. Earlier this year, they both pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced to terms of three years and four years. However, Bannon is not entirely in the clear because he still faces state charges in New York regarding the venture.
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron also represented Bannon when he ignored a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee investigating the the 2021 Capitol riot. Ultimately, he was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress and sentenced to four months in jail.
In her ruling, Bluth agreed with the firm that Bannon “was actively seeking” its representation “well after” January 2022 and therefore he was delinquent in his payments.
A lawyer for Bannon called the order “clearly wrong” and said they will appeal the ruling.
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