Court filings allege Steve Bannon aided White House 'extortion' scheme

newsJul 9, 202642894

New court filings allege pro-MAGA podcaster Steve Bannon secretly worked with President Donald Trump and the White House to pressure top law firms into providing nearly $1 billion in free legal work. The filings name Trump personal lawyer Boris Epshteyn as a cooperator and cite a March 19, 2025 internal message from White House senior policy strategist May Mailman attaching a draft executive order titled "Solving_Paul_Weiss_v2.docx" and instructing counsel that "Per POTUS, this EO needs to be ready now." The administration used executive orders that stripped security clearances, cut government contracts, and barred firm lawyers from federal buildings; nine firms ultimately pledged pro bono work to make the orders stop. The American Bar Association argues communications involving Bannon and Epshteyn cannot receive executive privilege because they were private citizens, and the government is resisting the ABA's subpoena for Epshteyn and refusing 16 categories of requested documents. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse called the scheme "extortion," and Lawfare said prosecutors could argue the administration accepted pro bono services knowing firms hoped to influence the President. A court ruling warned that retaliation against law firms "casts a chill over the whole of the legal profession," raising questions about future criminal or civil exposure and whether courts will compel testimony or internal documents next.

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

I guess given Boris' involvement we should have assumed Bannon wasn't far behind the law firm kickback system. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and...

37313h ago

Raw Story

@rawstory.com

New court documents allege that pro-MAGA podcaster Steve Bannon was a secret operative helping President Donald Trump and the White House extort nearly $1 billion from the nation's top law firms.

2325h ago

Phil Stevens8

What? The guy arrested (on a Chinese billionaire's yacht) for defrauding Donald supporters of millions of dollars only to be pardoned 5 months later is a shady sumbitch? Shocked to hear it.

Suz4

Steve Bannon is a sleeze and was found guilty of, defrauding "We Build the Wall" donors in 2025, and two counts of contempt of congress in 2022 and went to prison. Not someone that should be colluding with trump to fleece law firms. I hope there will be a reckoning for all these crimes.

Jennybing532

Not so secret actually. It was totally obvious.

Jeff (NewJeffCT on Twitter)1

I'm still upset that so many of these big law firms caved to Team Trump

lonrexx.bsky.social1

As a lawyer myself for 34 years and my wife, a lawyer for 36 years, they could say no. But maybe I'm missing something. Hint: I'm not....

PanicAtTheDogPark.bsky.social1

State Attorneys General! Come one, come all!

Quoting this

🌈 Megs ✨2

Everything this administration does has the fingerprints of two people all over: Miller and Bannon.

The Devil

@iamdevil.bsky.social

Trump is a deep-state agent, recruited by Epstein through sexual extortion, brought to power by Russian and North Korean hackers (with help from US tech), and is taking orders from Bannon, Putin, Netanyahu, along with the rest of a cabal of other deep state weirdos who control the world.

21320h ago

Spicymixofsweet3

Don't forget Mike Flynn and Eric Prince

Starman-X2

No lies detected. However, his brain is so rotted out now, he could conceivably become a problem for those in your list. Stay tuned!

Dear Leader2

There's no evidence that this is not true.

The Mushroom One 🍄1

And wanna be besty Fartrage who is obviously fighting 'The Establishment'! His tongue is so orange he's been 'tangoed'

geniusbyweb31

I can agree with you

Krissie 1

Deep state pedo's . .

Quoting this

Ian on Blue 🇦🇺🇵🇸 🇮🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Peace Is The Only Option3

It is Israel and Netanyahu controlling the Epstein extortion.

Veronica du Lac (She/Her)2

The corruption is ALL the US and UK no need for hysterics about Russia and N. Korea. The call is coming from inside the house

#TuckFrump

@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social

Steve Bannon exposed as secret player in White House 'extortion' scheme in new filings #RawStory

365h ago

someothercow.bsky.social2

I don't want to hear the words "Steve Bannon exposed" in a sentence ever again.

overthoughtamus.bsky.social1

Steve Bannon dresses like a really body-shy strip poker player.

Hedy Lamarr

@chudonew.bsky.social

MAGA, Trump pardoned Bannon for stealing your money. After failing to pay his lawyer nearly half a million dollars, Bannon clamored to halt a review of his personal finances— forcing him to admit that there is evidence of his fraud scheme in his bank docs. www.thedailybeast.com/steve-bannon...

45h ago

Lady Haha

@lensman23.bsky.social

No Epstein class supervillain has paid any meaningful public or legal price for his crimes, other than throwing around cash settlements in exchange for silence. Evading justice is, of course, one element of supervillainy. www.nationalmemo.com/bannon-epste...

43h ago

Demblu🩵🕊ThankYouJoe Biden

@phranklindb.bsky.social

The "ESTABLISHMENT" That's what bernie & trump said too. Miming the exact words of Steve Bannon Brexit to Demexit. Bannon worked the room against Democracy ,Free Societies throughout the world.

610h ago

Sylvaners

@sylvaners.bsky.social

Let's guess who's the next lying ass Republican that gets a pardon. www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon...

44h ago

Suz

@lily2748.bsky.social

44h ago

Gareth0108

@gareth0108.bsky.social

it makes me think that email between Epstein and steve Bannon about how to fund Farage leads directly to George Cottrell who knew both Bannon and Farage

210h ago

Elaine Wyatt

@elainewyatt.bsky.social

As he is now Reform, was this part of the plot to join together as one party? It's been a suspicion for a few following politics as many donors are or were the same and since Gove, Mogg Farage and Johnson met Steve Bannon to topple Teresa May as an elected PM.

314h ago

someothercow.bsky.social

@someothercow.bsky.social

I don't want to hear the words "Steve Bannon exposed" in a sentence ever again.

25h ago

🦋 iPERSiST iRESiST iM

@mama-gramma-bear.bsky.social

www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon... It’s hard to believe that Trump‘s cult members, our family and friends, respect this piece of shit, or any other Trump supporting, enabling, piece of shit. I’m so disgusted right now…

21h ago

David Combest

@decombest.bsky.social

How 'Epstein Class Supervillain' Steve Bannon Still Prospers As A Fake Populist - National Memo www.nationalmemo.com/bannon-epste...

6h ago

Eliza Jayne

@elizajayne.bsky.social

I also hope it doesn't spread. I watched a documentary several years ago about Steve Bannon helping right wing candidates in many different countries.

28h ago

3 sources

rawstory.comCourt filings expose Steve Bannon as secret player in White House 'extortion' scheme en.killbait.comSteve Bannon and Trump Allegedly Targeted Law Firms with Extortion Scheme thedailybeast.comSteve Bannon Admits Bank Account May Have Evidence of Fraud

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Court filings allege Steve Bannon aided White House 'extortion' scheme

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