Former White House adviser Stephen Bannon and three co-defendants are scheduled to stand trial in May on charges of defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors who contributed to a private campaign to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres set the date for Mr. Bannon and his three alleged co-conspirators in a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday afternoon.
Judge Torres called the date “optimistic,” noting that it could be rescheduled because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The scheduling hearing was held via videoconference with the public and media able to listen via telephone.
Mr. Bannon was arrested Aug. 20 and earlier this month set free on a $5 million bond, that is to be secured by $1.75 million in cash or property by Thursday.
On Monday, Judge Torres set a $500,000 bond for Brian Kolfage and a $250,000 bond each for Timothy Shea and Andrew Badolato, who are also accused of conspiring with Mr. Bannon to defraud donors.
Federal prosecutors say the four diverted funds for personal use from the roughly $25 million they raised to build the wall. They are charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and a single count of conspiring to commit money laundering.
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