Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Steve Bannon Arrested on Charges of Defrauding Donors
CNBC.com ^

Posted on 08/20/2020 6:45:27 AM PDT by mn-bush-man

Headline only at this point


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Colorado; US: Florida; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; alisonmoe; analisatorres; audreystrauss; badolato; bannon; bartlett; border; borderwall; briankolfage; colorado; crowdfunding; election; electionyear; florida; guowengui; hopecannon; hopetcannon; illegalimmigration; kolfage; kristenlmix; mdf; moe; ndf; nicolasroos; opcu; philipbartlett; postoffice; robertsobelman; roos; sdny; shea; sobelman; stephenbannon; stevebannon; tds; thomaswilson; timothyshea; uspis; usps; webuildthewall
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 181-196 next last
To: DesertRhino

Blow those bagpipes! DOJ carefully following around everyone associated with Trump and checking them with a microscope. Still think this is going to be an honest election?
.
.

Hell no. Look at all the DOJ and FBI already did to try and oust a legally elected President. The lies.


21 posted on 08/20/2020 6:56:03 AM PDT by snarkytart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man

And once again, southern district of New York. Tell me the leaders of build the wall were not so idiotic as to register in New York?


22 posted on 08/20/2020 6:57:11 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

October surprise is my guess.


23 posted on 08/20/2020 6:57:18 AM PDT by DivineMomentsOfTruth ("There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." -GW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man

Deep state.

Wake me up when they indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center.


24 posted on 08/20/2020 6:57:24 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone; All

What’s the saying? You can indict a ham sandwich?

Just in time...before the election....they are in complete panic.

From your link....

The following is a statement from USDOJ:

Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors

Brian Kolfage, Stephen Bannon, and Two Others Alleged to Have Funneled Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars From the Organization to Kolfage; All Four Defendants Allegedly Profited From Their Roles in the Scheme

Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA for their roles in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build the Wall” that raised more than $25 million. The defendants were arrested this morning. KOLFAGE will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in the Northern District of Florida. BANNON will be presented today in the Southern District of New York. BADOLATO will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson in the Middle District of Florida. SHEA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix in the District of Colorado. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in the Southern District of New York.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction. While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”

Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “The defendants allegedly engaged in fraud when they misrepresented the true use of donated funds. As alleged, not only did they lie to donors, they schemed to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes, showing no regard for the law or the truth. This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law, not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist.”

According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA, and others, orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25 million to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised . . . will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose” because, as BANNON publicly stated, “we’re a volunteer organization.”

Those representations were false. In truth, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. In particular, KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 in funds that donors had given to We Build the Wall, while BANNON, through a non-profit organization under his control (“Non-Profit-1”), received over $1 million from We Build the Wall, at least some of which BANNON used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in BANNON’s personal expenses. To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA devised a scheme to route those payments from We Build the Wall to KOLFAGE indirectly through Non-Profit-1 and a shell company under SHEA’s control, among other avenues. They did so by using fake invoices and sham “vendor” arrangements, among other ways, to ensure, as KOLFAGE noted in a text message to BADOLATO, that his pay arrangement remained “confidential” and kept on a “need to know” basis.

* * *

KOLFAGE, 38, of Miramar Beach, Florida, BANNON, 66, of Washington, D.C., BADOLATO, 56, of Sarasota, Florida, and SHEA, 49, of Castle Rock, Colorado, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She also thanked the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida for their assistance.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicolas Roos, Alison G. Moe, and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


25 posted on 08/20/2020 6:57:43 AM PDT by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: cdcdawg

The system has always been broken. Its just on tv now.


26 posted on 08/20/2020 6:57:44 AM PDT by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

well we have big tech censoring all speech against the dems and Biden, now we have AG and DOJ stopping the money.

The states have resisted everything POTUS has done at every turn even though he RAN on those issues.

I think we will have to split this country soon in the future. The marxists want it their way or they will kill and jail you.


27 posted on 08/20/2020 6:58:08 AM PDT by snarkytart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

Q-pidity...a strong feeling of wanting to have something....emotion not reason


28 posted on 08/20/2020 6:58:33 AM PDT by Covenantor (We are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man

Charges are that they secretly diverted funds for personal expenses.

Hundreds of thousands.


29 posted on 08/20/2020 6:59:20 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (Prediction: G. Maxwell w ill surprise everyone by not dying anytime soon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gcparent

We are headed into communist government on a rocketsled. It will still have the same flag, songs, etc. The history will be scrubbed into a woke version of America.

But this is the USSA.


30 posted on 08/20/2020 6:59:39 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Fido969

I’m not surprised to see that little fag Drudge has got his siren up on this one. DNCrudge. LOL.


31 posted on 08/20/2020 6:59:45 AM PDT by lodi90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man
When it comes to Trump's associates, the DOJ is very fast to hunt down, harass and indict. While associates of the Deep State remain non charged.

This is the track record of the bagpiper's DOJ.

That's just a fact.

32 posted on 08/20/2020 7:00:38 AM PDT by FreeReign
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jane Long
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations

Pretty soon they'll charge Trump with snoring.

33 posted on 08/20/2020 7:00:40 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man

Just goes to show that we need to send money directly to trump. I don’t mind cleaning house for fraud. This is encouraging to me.

Send our money to Trump and FR...........................


34 posted on 08/20/2020 7:01:42 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

We’re circling the drain towards communism.

CWII likely.


35 posted on 08/20/2020 7:02:14 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (Like Enoch, Noah, & Lot, the True Church will soon be removed & then destruction comes forth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Jane Long

and the Judge who coined that phrased ended up being indicted and went to prison. He was a nutjob...who was diagnosed as bipolar in prison.


36 posted on 08/20/2020 7:02:21 AM PDT by RummyChick (Stop Apologizing for things you didn't do. Stop Demanding Apologies when refuse to forgive)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: mn-bush-man

You have to hand it to the democrats, they know how to use power and authority.

If Mueller and his team had one tenth of one percent of the evidence Barr is sitting on, Trump would have been long gone. Barr may snag a few minor officials to play like he is doing something, but it is only cover to allow the big rats to escape.

Q is in the news lately, so I went to the site and saw a book entitled “Panic in D.C.”

There is no panic in D.C. when Republicans are in power. The safest place to be if you commit high treason is in Washington D. C. while the Republicans are in power (treason does not exist for democrats).


37 posted on 08/20/2020 7:03:23 AM PDT by odawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gcparent

Weren’t ‘they’ trying to diss ‘Wounded Warrior Project’ not so long ago?

Again, be a LIB in good standing and if your son/daughter/wife gets a ‘job’ that pays 300 grand per month be it on a board of directors or know nothing about the job, that is fine.

Be a Conservative and ‘accept’ a free cup of coffee and a donut while ‘on duty’ and get arrested for accepting a bribe.

Tell me again about “EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL”

Look what they did to McDonald in VA....I won’t say he wasn’t stupid and maybe not fit to govern because of ‘bad decisions concerning ‘help’ BUT what he did is mild in comparison when you figure just about every POLs wife has a ‘plush’ position on a good paying ‘job’.
(No excuse, just saying)


38 posted on 08/20/2020 7:03:46 AM PDT by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: PeterPrinciple

Don’t be naive. Bannon did nothing wrong other than being a open supporter of Trump at election time.


39 posted on 08/20/2020 7:04:28 AM PDT by wiseprince
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

You’re right. Things can’t go back to pretending everything is normal once Trump leaves too many have been exposed, and they are all cultural Marxists running our lives. At some point this has to break...because half the people are not for it.
You just can’t tell 155 million people to F OFF.


40 posted on 08/20/2020 7:04:43 AM PDT by snarkytart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 181-196 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson