A federal judge has formally dismissed the indictment against Steve Bannon following Donald Trump's pardon, but noted that the former White House strategist allegedly siphoned more than $1 million from donors to the US-Mexico border wall campaign.
US District Judge Analisa Torres issued an order ending months of legal proceedings, though a state investigation into the 'We Build The Wall' fundraising scheme remains pending. The order detailed how Bannon and co-defendants used donated funds for personal expenses, including travel, hotels, and credit card debt.
Bannon was arrested in August last year alongside three others on charges of massive fundraising and money laundering fraud. The campaign raised over $25 million from hundreds of thousands of donors, purportedly for constructing a wall along the border, but organisers allegedly defrauded donors.
Trump issued a 'full and unconditional pardon' to Bannon on his last day in office in January, five months after the arrest. While Judge Torres granted dismissal, she quoted a 1833 New Jersey court ruling that 'pardon implies guilt', adding that pardons do not 'blot out probable cause of guilt.'
The judge noted that Bannon paid a secret salary to campaign founder Brian Kolfage from the funds and used a substantial portion for personal uses. Kolfage was recently indicted on separate tax fraud charges. All three co-defendants have not received pardons and face trial, while Bannon still faces a New York state investigation.
