U.S. judge dismisses indictment against ex-Trump adviser Bannon, cites pardon
Source: Reuters
Steve Bannon, the onetime top strategist for former President Donald Trump and recipient of a presidential pardon, on Tuesday won dismissal of an indictment accusing him of defrauding donors to a fund to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan said dismissal was "the proper course" in light of the pardon, which Bannon received in the final hours of Trump's presidency.
Prosecutors had argued that instead of dismissing the indictment, the judge should merely dismiss Bannon as one of the four defendants. The defendants had been charged in connection with the alleged siphoning of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the $25 million "We Build the Wall" crowdfunding campaign.
But the judge said the pardon was valid, and that even if Bannon did not formally admit guilt "the issuance of a pardon may carry an imputation of guilt; acceptance a confession of it."
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-dismisses-indictment-against-ex-trump-adviser-bannon-cites-pardon-2021-05-25/
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)And then having Trump pardon the people who ripped you off?
I bet you love it ... cause you're Cult Members.
Perhaps state charges are possible here?
Pretty sure fraud and theft are illegal in every state.
catsudon
(839 posts)that Trump pardons so many black rappers and yet let all the white capital uprising terrorist rot in jail.
C_U_L8R
(45,003 posts)As awful as it is to see Bannon skate again, at least there's solace knowing the magat morons are gnashing and frothing in bewildered cognitive distress. What chumps.
bucolic_frolic
(43,196 posts)like commutations. How do you pardon someone for everything they ever did? It's like a blanket secret agent license to do whatever you want. We'll get more of this behavior since blanket pardons now have a green light.
Why didn't Nixon pardon everyone? Or any other president with family on board? Billy Beer?
I just wonder if pardons have been expanded beyond original intent of the Founders. They would not have issued open season passes on criminality.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)The remedy was supposed to be impeachment.
Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)bdamomma
(63,883 posts)Judge a McConnell /Trump plant.
Fullduplexxx
(7,866 posts)bdamomma
(63,883 posts)but why let Bannon off?
elleng
(130,980 posts)I read that.
Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)your buds and faves. There has to be some sort of standard and not just subject to the whims of a despot prez.
maxsolomon
(33,345 posts)but it wasn't law. it it was just a "norm", so Trump broke it, and in so doing, destroyed the norm.
WTF does he care about precedent? that's for suckers.
Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)maxsolomon
(33,345 posts)He's rich, he's white, he's the former POTUS.
Best we can hope for is a stiff fine (he won't care), public shame (he's incapable of feeling it), and incapacitation from natural causes such as COPD, a stroke, or dementia.
Evolve Dammit
(16,743 posts)marble falls
(57,114 posts)cstanleytech
(26,299 posts)SunImp
(2,224 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,304 posts)for him to steal any other money that is left there?
ZonkerHarris
(24,229 posts)SunSeeker
(51,574 posts)Same with Manafort.
Polybius
(15,448 posts)The judge was appointed by Obama, and understands that the law says we must dismiss the indictment in this case. He was pardoned, like it or not.
Turbineguy
(37,353 posts)puts the turd in trump's pocket.