For Immediate Release: 10/21/22

Trump Acolytes Steve Bannon and Lee Zeldin Share Close Ties In Planning To Undermine Democracy 

New York, NY – Today, as Steve Bannon — the chief strategist to the Trump administration and a close Zeldin ally — is sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to testify before the January 6th Committee, here is a reminder of the close ties Zeldin shares with the disgraced Trump staffer: 

• Bannon has been a supporter of Lee Zeldin for many years, and in 2017, headlined a fundraiser supporting Zeldin’s Congressional campaign. 

• In September, Bannon endorsed Zeldin for governor and praised him, declaring Zeldin as a “MAGA key to victory” on the conservative social media platform Gettr. 

• Bannon has been dubbed Trump’s “chief strategist and the great manipulator” while Zeldin served as Trump’s “point man” during impeachment. 

• Both Zeldin and Bannon were key architects in perpetuating the “Big Lie.” Before the election was even called, Zeldin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows were conspiring to push election conspiracy falsehoods.

Bannon took credit for telling Trump to “announce early that he had won [the election] and would suggest that any apparent Biden victory had resulted from fraud.”

“As Bannon faces jail time for refusing to testify to the January 6th Committee, Lee Zeldin will lose another close ally and co-conspirator who he worked with to discredit the 2020 election,” said New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay S. Jacobs. “Donald Trump’s conspiracy pushers are finally being held accountable for their actions, and in New York, we will make sure Zeldin is held to the same standard — by making sure he loses this November.”  

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