Bannon is the last character closely associated with the president to come into conflict with the law. Others include former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former lawyer Michael Cohen and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Comey is also a former U.S. prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, where Bannon was indicted last week.
“At this point, they could almost start their own criminal family,” Comey told CBS, echoing the passage from his book A Higher Loyalty, published in April 2018, in which he compared Trump, who fired him in May 2017, to mafia bosses. including Sammy “the bull” Gravano.
“This is a very serious case. The New York City District exposed him in a very detailed indictment called a speaking indictment, and he’s in a world of trouble.
Bannon has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
“This is a very serious fraud case with a huge amount of money stolen from innocent victims,” Comey said. “This will increase the potential punishments.”
Bannon was released on a $ 5 million bond, backed by $ 1.75 million in cash or real estate. He has until September 3 to find the guarantee. Three other men, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, were also arrested in connection with the alleged scheme to defraud the We Build the Wall campaign, which authorities said raised more than $ 25 million.
Kolfage, Badolato and Shea have not yet intervened. In a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, Kolfage said he had “got one of the best super lawyers in the world who is not afraid to respond to politically motivated assaults on me.”
Bannon, Comey said, was “in trouble because the indictment presents him in such detail, including text excerpts. If you are Steve Bannon [or] you are his lawyers, you read this saying: “I am going here.
“I don’t know what the next steps are for him and his co-defendants, but that’s what I meant by ‘world of problems’.
Comey has proven to be an embarrassing adversary for Trump, who unsuccessfully and infamously sought to secure personal loyalty before deciding to fire him as FBI director.
Comey recently announced a new book, Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust, due out in January. Also in January, after the presidential election, Showtime will release The Comey Rule, a two-part adaptation of A Higher Loyalty.
Comey is played by Jeff Daniels, Trump by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson. In published distribution lists, Bannon does not appear.
