Donald Trump's former top adviser, Steve Bannon, has appeared in court in the US, after being arrested on a yacht and charged with defrauding donors in a scheme to help build the US president’s infamous wall along the US-Mexico border.
As a top adviser to Mr Trump's presidential campaign, Mr Bannon helped articulate the 'America First’ right-wing populism and fierce opposition to immigration that have been hallmarks of Trump's time in office.
Mr Trump fired Mr Bannon from his White House post in August 2017.
The 66-year-old was among four people arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Mr Bannon pleaded not guilty.
Parties have reportedly agreed on a $5 million bond package for Mr Bannon.
Prosecutors accused the defendants of defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors through a $25m crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall."
Mr Bannon used hundreds of thousands of dollars of that money to cover personal expenses, according to the charges.
He was arrested in Connecticut by agents from the prosecutor's office and the US Postal Inspection Service aboard a 150-foot-long yacht, a law enforcement source said.
That yacht, called the Lady May, is owned by Chinese fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui, with whom Mr Bannon has had a working relationship.
Steve Bannon and other Trump associates arrested
Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that he feels "very badly" about the charges, but sought to distance himself from Mr Bannon and the alleged scheme.
"I do think it's a sad event," Trump said. "I haven't dealt with him at all now for years, literally years."
The US President said he knew little about the project, but one of those involved, former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, said in 2019 that Mr Trump had offered his support, according to the New York Times.
Mr Bannon is the eighth close Trump associate to be arrested or convicted of a crime, a list that also includes former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, long time friend and adviser Roger Stone, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
Mr Trump has struggled to build his border wall - a key 2016 campaign promise - in the face of court challenges, logistical hurdles and congressional opposition. His administration has completed 30 new miles of border fencing, and replaced another 240 miles of barriers along the 2,000-mile border, government figures show.
More than 330,000 supporters have donated to private fund-raisers and profiteers who have promised to build the wall on their own, a 2019 Reuters investigation showed.
The group tied to Mr Bannon built two wall sections on private land in New Mexico and Texas, drawing criticism from local residents, who said proper permits were not obtained. The Texas wall section has experienced erosion problems, a report last month showed.
"I know nothing about the project," Mr Trump said today. "Other than ... when I read about it, I didn't like it. I said, 'This is for government, this isn't for private people,' and it sounded to me like showboating."
Mr Trump also said he did not believe he had ever met the three others who had been charged.
