US President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon pleaded guilty on Tuesday to defrauding donors who contributed money to a private scheme to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, a case the conservative strategist had decried as “political persecution”.
Mr Bannon, 71, entered a guilty plea to New York state charges as part of an agreement with prosecutors that spared him prison time. He received a three-year conditional discharge, which requires that he stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment.
He was indicted in 2022 for his role in a project called “We Build the Wall”, which involved private fundraising to build the southern border wall.
One of the masterminds behind Mr Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Bannon also faced federal charges over the scheme but received a pardon at the end of the Republican's first term in the White House. A US president cannot pardon state-level charges, which also is why Mr Trump, who was convicted of dozens of felonies in New York, cannot pardon himself.
Mr Bannon pleaded guilty to a state charge on Tuesday of involvement in a “scheme to defraud in the first degree”. He served nearly four months in prison last year after being convicted of contempt of Congress.
He was sent to jail for defying a subpoena to testify before the congressional panel investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Mr Trump.
During Mr Trump's first term in office, Mr Bannon served in the White House as his chief strategist, but he left after seven months, reportedly due to conflicts with other top staffers.
Though he no longer works officially for Mr Trump, he has remained a vocal backer of the Republican President, mainly through his podcast The War Room.
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
