Trump tells people he's decided to pardon Steve Bannon as one of his final acts in office - CNN

Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen."

Bannon faces a federal case that began in August when New York federal prosecutors charged him and three others with defrauding donors of more than a million dollars as part of a fundraising campaign purportedly aimed at supporting Trump's border wall.

Bannon's pardon would follow a frantic scramble during the President's final hours in office as attorneys and top aides debated his inclusion on Trump's outgoing clemency list.

Things shifted in recent months as Bannon attempted to breach Trump's inner circle once again by offering advice before the election and pushing his false theories after Trump had lost.

One concern that had stalled debate over the pardon was Bannon's possible connection to the riot of Trump supporters at the US Capitol earlier this month, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The day after Bannon's comments, Trump urged supporters to go to the Capitol because the election "was stolen from you, from me and from the country."

The pardon would bring a quick end to his criminal case, which began in August when New York federal prosecutors charged him and three others with defrauding donors of more than a million dollars as part of a fundraising campaign purportedly aimed at supporting Trump's border wall.

Bannon's pardon would trigger relief from a series of charges brought against him by New York federal prosecutors, which carried the risk of jail time.

Throughout the day, Trump had continued to contemplate pardons that aides believed were settled, including for his former strategist -- something he continued to go back and forth on into Tuesday night, sources told CNN.

Ultimately, Trump sided with Bannon.

Bannon had helped run Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and was credited as a driving force behind Trump's populist appeal, nationalist ideology and controversial policies.

Before joining the campaign, Bannon was the executive chairman of Breitbart, a right-wing news site that traffics in incendiary headlines.