Steve Bannon Ordered to Pay Almost $500K in Unsettled Legal Expenses

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A New York judge has ruled that Steve Bannon must pay nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees to his former attorneys.

Steve Bannon, a far-right strategist and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was sued earlier this year for allegedly neglecting to compensate the Manhattan law firm that had been defending him amidst a series of legal challenges over the past few years.

In her recently released six-page order, Judge Arlene Bluth determined that Bannon had only paid $375,000 out of the total of over $850,000 owed to Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron LLP.

The court mandated that Bannon settle the remaining balance of $480,487, in addition to 1% interest and “reasonable legal fees.”

Bannon’s current attorney, Harlan Protass, issued a statement expressing his client’s intention to appeal the decision, which he deemed “clearly incorrect.”

Jeffrey Citron, a managing partner at Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron, expressed disappointment that Bannon had compelled the firm to resort to legal action, despite the firm’s provision of “excellent representation.”

Citron added that the firm would diligently explore all avenues to recover their fees.

The New York-based firm had represented Bannon in various legal matters, including his involvement in the federal investigation into allegations of defrauding donors who contributed funds for the construction of a border wall along the southern U.S. border.

Although former President Donald Trump granted Bannon a pardon in that particular case, he currently faces state charges related to his role in the scheme. His trial for those charges is scheduled for next year.

The law firm also provided legal assistance to Bannon in his efforts to challenge a subpoena issued by the congressional committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon received a four-month prison sentence for defying the subpoena but remains free pending an appeal decision.

Bannon argued that he had instructed the firm’s attorneys to cease working for him in early 2022, months prior to him ceasing payments. Furthermore, he claimed that the firm had not properly notified him of the outstanding payments by neglecting to send invoices to his various addresses.

The judge dismissed both arguments, asserting that Bannon “cannot enjoy the benefits of legal representation and then refuse to fulfill his payment obligations.”

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