Steve Bannon, the longtime ally to former President Donald Trump who was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Capitol riot and is now facing new charges, was sued for nearly $500,000 over unpaid legal bills.
The money is owed for legal work completed by Robert Costello, a New York lawyer who is no longer representing Bannon but joined his defense in 2020 and stayed on through proceedings in the contempt case over undercutting the Congressional probe, which went to trial last year. Out of $855,487 owed to Costello’s firm, Bannon has evidently only paid $375,000, and the lawsuit is seeking $480,487 — plus interest and legal fees associated with the new filing. Reportedly, Evan Corcoran, a former federal prosecutor who is now also representing Trump in the former president’s dispute with federal authorities over classified documents from his administration, also wasn’t paid what he was owed for legal work he completed for Bannon, although there’s no lawsuit from Corcoran — yet, and seemingly, the disputed amount is smaller.
Costello’s time with Bannon covered an early indictment from federal prosecutors over a crowdfunding effort meant to support building a wall along the southern border. Bannon and other organizers, three of whom were also charged, used large sums from what donors gave for themselves, despite the clear impression to those donating that the money would only support the construction efforts. Bannon’s more recent charges are from the Manhattan district attorney and cover his role in this scheme after a presidential pardon from Trump just before he left office — a pardon only directly applicable to federal charges. Bannon is now seeking new lawyers in that case as two who were representing him are seeking an exit. That duo includes David Schoen, who was also involved with Bannon’s defense in the case against him over contempt of Congress. Bannon was sentenced to a months-long stint in prison after a jury convicted him, but he’s yet to complete that sentence as appeals continue.
Notably, Bannon isn’t the only figure on the Right accused of failing to meet the obligations associated with his legal costs. Towards the end of last year, now former Rep. Madison Cawthorn was sued over a similar dispute. In that case, the amount at issue was identified as over $190,000. The legal work encompassed the then-Congressman’s response to challenges to his eligibility for office on the basis of Constitutional restrictions on individuals involved in insurrection holding government posts. Although that challenge ultimately proved unsuccessful, Cawthorn lost his race for re-election at the primary stage and exited.
