A New York judge delivered some costly news to former White House adviser Steve Bannon.
New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth ruled Friday that Bannon must pay the law firm that previously represented him $480,487.87 plus interest in relation to four different legal matters, according to The Hill.
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP sued Bannon in February, saying he had only paid $375,000 of the roughly $850,000 in total that the law firm billed him.
The firm said it had represented Bannon on numerous legal battles in regard to a subpoena sent by the House Jan. 6 committee, a criminal contempt case stemming from Bannon’s refusal to comply with the subpoena, a federal donor fraud criminal case, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s subsequent investigation into the alleged donor scheme.
The one-time Trump strategist claimed he requested the firm to stop representing him after January 2022, but the Judge ruled that the firm showed Bannon continued to seek legal services after that date.
Bannon also argued the retainer agreement was limited to the federal fraud case, related to a project meant to fund the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The agreement only explicitly listed the one donor case, but it went on to state that the firm would represent Bannon in “such various and other matters and issues as may arise from time to time.”
“This provision does not constitute a basis by which defendant can avoid paying his legal fees as defendant did not include any evidence that he ever told plaintiff to not represent him in these matters,” Bluth wrote. “Put another way, defendant cannot receive the benefit of plaintiff’s legal representation and then insist he need not pay for it.”
Bannon’s current lawyer, Harlan Protass, slammed the judge’s decision on the unpaid legal fees “as clearly wrong and we intend to immediately appeal.”
Former President Trump pardoned in the federal fraud case shortly before leaving the White House in 2021.
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