Win some, lose some. Steve Bannon received a pardon on Donald Trump’s last day in office for charges arising from his fraudulent activities raising money for a wall on the southern border. But his luck isn’t holding, apparently, because the Italian Council of State voted to end the lease granted to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, a group founded by Bannon and British conservative Ben Harnwell, on an 800 year old monastery. The DHI was building the Academy for the Judeo-Christian West, which was a kind of boot camp for populists. Now all the right-wing gladiators are without a training facility, and Bannon is pissed. Daily Beast:
“After winning seven of seven previous legal decisions, this ruling is a joke which brings further shame on Italy’s already-stained judiciary in eyes of the whole world,” said Bannon who Trump pardoned of fraud charges on his last day in office. “We refuse to be stopped by the corrupt bureaucracy that infests Italian government and hurts the Italian people.”
American cardinal Raymond Burke—a strong critic of Pope Francis—was for a time the honorary president of DHI. Burke softened on Bannon after he announced plans to make a film about rampant homosexuality in the Vatican. […]
The Italian Council of State listed contractual failings and a lack of financial plan as part of its reasoning to withdraw the lease. Bannon and Harnwell vow to appeal the decision. “This is the sort of thing you expect from third world countries, not a founding nation of Western Civilization,” Bannon said. “We intend to appeal and win. Trisulti is an Italian treasure and we will fight for it.”
Bannon can appeal all that he wants to, but “contractual failings” and “lack of financial plan” are the issues, and he’s trying to spin it politically. Wrong. They want their money. If Bannon doesn’t have the money, they’ll do business with somebody that does.
But this is vintage Steve Bannon. He’s exactly like Trump when it comes to finance. He talks a great game, promises the moon, and leaves creditors holding the bag. Oh, well. It would have been an interesting enterprise, no question, a college for conservative clownery, tucked away in the majesty of the Italian mountains and run by monks and with Bannon as the high priest. Damn. What a set up for a comedy movie, a spin on The Mouse That Roared, maybe the Gladiator Gerbil That Groaned.
Bannon could maybe try to find an old castle in France for his gladiator university. Ireland has castles, too, but I wouldn’t bother if I was him. He owes money to the Bank of Ireland so I don’t think that idea will fly. Looks like Bannon is a man without a castle.
Bye bye Bannon. Italians seem smarter than the 33% of Americans that agree with you.
If I tried to float a script about something like this nobody would buy it. Hee hee.
He ain’t getting nowhere in Ireland. The Irish will want the money up front, and Ireland has this fun little law says foreigners can’t live there all year, EVEN if you own the property. And becoming a citizen is like doing an Evil Knievel jump on roller blades.
Given how many unwelcome houseguests Eire has had to put up with over the centuries, I’m surprised that they’re THAT nice about it.
Oh yeah, wanted to say I’m getting newsletters again! Success!
Steve Bannon looks like someone pulled the plug on him a long time ago. What a deplorable fraud, and he’s ugly too.
Got my second email!
Yaaaayyy!!! 2nd email!!
One can never underestimate Steve Bannon enough.
One can OVERestimate any creature in Trump’s orbit. In a contest between him and Italian bureaucracy, my money is on the latter. They got a thousand year headstart on that asshole.
Weeeee! I’m getting articles again. What magic did you weave. Ursula? The last bit I heard from you had you scratching your head.
So happy to have this great column back again. I have really missed it