Bannon says expects to be charged in New York criminal case, reportedly again over wall fundraising

Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon said he expects to be charged in a New York criminal case, reportedly related to his fundraising attempt to build the southern border wall. 

Bannon, 68, plans to surrender Thursday, multiple media outlets report.

Bannon on Tuesday said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg "has now decided to pursue phony charges against me 60 days before the midterm election." He claimed the Democratic prosecutor targeted him because of his popularity within the MAGA movement, The Associated Press stated.

The New York Southern District U.S. Court "did the exact same thing in August 2020 to try to take me out of the election," Bannon said in reference to his arrest at the time after he was accused of pocketing more than $1 million in donations meant for the border wall. 

Bannon pleaded not guilty and the case was dropped when then-President Donald Trump pardoned him on his last day in office. 

A presidential pardon does not prevent state prosecutors from trying similar offenses, and sources told The Washington Post that Bannon's newest case will resemble the federal prosecution.

Echoing comments similar to Trump, Bannon said the newest charges are "nothing more than a partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system."