Former Trump aide Steve Bannon ordered to pay $480,000 for unpaid legal bills

A justice ordered erstwhile Trump White House adjutant Steve Bannon to wage a New York instrumentality steadfast $480,487 successful unpaid legal bills.

And that magnitude could grow.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth besides awarded the instrumentality steadfast Davidoff Hutcher & Citron fees it incurred from having to writer Bannon to cod what it was owed for enactment performed from November 2020 done November 2022.

Bluth's six-page determination brushed speech Bannon's arguments against the bill, which suggested Davidoff Hutcher's retainer was not entitled to complaint for enactment related to 4 antithetic ineligible cases, and that helium ne'er "personally received" the firms' bills oregon paid their invoices himself.

The justice noted that Davidoff Hutcher had been paid $375,000 for enactment for Bannon earlier helium stopped paying the firm.

"Clearly idiosyncratic affiliated with suspect was getting these invoices and suspect admits helium instructed his squad to wage plaintiff," Bluth wrote.

Bannon "cannot person the payment of plaintiff's ineligible practice and past importune helium request not for it," the justice wrote.

Bannon's existent lawyer, Harlan Protass told CNBC connected Monday: "The judge's determination was intelligibly incorrect and we mean to instantly appeal."

The bid comes arsenic Bannon — present represented by a antithetic instrumentality steadfast — faces a May 2024 transgression proceedings successful the aforesaid tribunal for allegedly defrauding donors to a purported effort to physique a partition astatine the U.S.-Mexico border. He has pleaded not blameworthy successful the case.

Former President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon conscionable earlier leaving bureau successful January 2021 successful transportation with a then-pending national transgression prosecution for the aforesaid alleged "We Build the Wall" scam, successful which 3 co-defendants each aboriginal pleaded blameworthy oregon were convicted.

Bannon besides is appealing a Washington, D.C., national tribunal condemnation and related four-month jailhouse condemnation for contempt of Congress for refusing to attest to the peculiar House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, aft it issued him a subpoena.

Bannon's erstwhile lawyer, Davidoff Hutcher spouse Robert Costello, told CNBC that if Bannon "appeals, of course, the metre is running" connected the unpaid fees helium owes the firm.

Bluth tacked connected a complaint of 1% involvement prejudgment connected the ineligible fees she awarded Davidoff Hutcher connected Friday.

But Costello said that volition spike to 9% annually erstwhile his steadfast files post-judgment tribunal documents, with the imaginable for Bannon to beryllium Davidoff Hutcher adjacent much successful ineligible fees if helium loses connected appeal.

"This is simply a lose-lose proposition for him," said Costello. "But helium has to marque his ain concern decisions."

Costello, who represented Bannon successful the "We Build the Wall" and Jan. 6 cases, described Bannon arsenic efficaciously ghosting him 9 months oregon truthful ago.

"Mr. Bannon, unfortunately, conscionable stopped paying our bills," Costello said. "And I communicated with him perpetually astir it, and helium decided conscionable not to respond."

Asked if Bannon failed to reply Costello astatine each erstwhile the lawyer contacted him astir the unpaid bills, Costello said, "Correct. Silence, crickets."

"I don't cognize what his idiosyncratic problems oregon issues" were, Costello said erstwhile asked wherefore helium believed Bannon did not respond oregon wage his debt. "Honestly, I don't know. I can't work minds."

"It's unfortunate," Costello said, referring to the suit to recoup the ineligible fees. "I didn't privation to writer the guy. Personally, I similar the guy."

Bannon alleged successful his effect to the suit that helium told Costello and his steadfast to halt moving for him successful January 2022, and that Costello performed enactment for him that was unrelated to the retainer statement that was the taxable of the suit.

"In reply, [Costello's firm] argues that suspect is attempting to manufacture an contented of information wherever nary exists and that documentary grounds shows that suspect was actively accepting plaintiff's ineligible practice good aft January 2022," Bluth noted.

Costello appeared with Bannon successful national tribunal successful Washington connected June 15, 2022, for Bannon's arraignment successful the contempt of Congress case. That was much than 4 months aft Bannon aboriginal claimed helium had instructed the lawyer to cease enactment connected his behalf.