In a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Bragg and joined by the New York Attorney General, The Grand Jury of the County of New York (Manhattan) has issued a 22-page indictment against Bannon on six counts, 2 counts of Money Laundering in the Second Degree under two separate sections of the statute:
1. MONEY LAUNDERING IN THE SECOND DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law § 470.15(1)(b)(i)(A),
2. MONEY LAUNDERING IN THE SECOND DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law § 470.15(1)(b)(ii)(A);
Two counts of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree both Class C Felonies:
3. CONSPIRACY IN THE FOURTH DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law §105.10(1),
4. CONSPIRACY IN THE FOURTH DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law §105.10(1).
The remaining two counts are:
5. SCHEME TO DEFRAUD IN THE FIRST DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law § 190.65(1)(a), and
6. CONSPIRACY IN THE FIFTH DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law §105.05(1).
The recitation of the underlying facts of each crime is quite detailed; I am still reading through the document. The money laundering charge alone suggests that WeBuildtheWall, Inc. was nothing more than a front for raising money through GOFUNDME for the purpose of enriching Bannon and his unindicted co-conspirators. You can read and download the entire indictment at Hugo Lowell’s reporting at The Guardian: you can read the indictment here.
The Manhattan DA began investing the case against Bannon as soon as tfg pardoned him on the federal charges. I suspect that AG James has joined on this case because the Manhattan DA is only able to seek an indict on crimes committed against residents of the County of New York; whereas AG James can loop in other victims from around the State of New York. Consequently, the indictment repeats the clause, “the Defendants in the County of New York and elsewhere,” engaged in such criminal acts as defined by the New York Penal Law.
As to what happens to the money, any plea agreement down the road could include restitution, in which case AG James’s office would be central to managing, collecting, and distributing those funds. Significantly, the indictment alleges that Bannon repeatedly stated that he would not take a penny of this money, which is a great deal more specific and less ambiguous than I will not draw a salary.