Posted on 08/20/2020 7:15:08 AM PDT by Red Badger
Steve Bannon, ‘We Build The Wall’ organizers arrested, charged with defrauding donors
Steve Bannon has been federally indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection to a crowdfunding campaign to build a border wall. Bannon was arrested this morning in Washington, D.C. on charges he and others allegedly made false representations about the “We Build the Wall campaign.”
Bannon, 66 is expected to appear in court virtually on Thursday.
Prosecutors said Bannon and others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors to the online campaign by falsely assuring them the organizers were not taking a penny of donation money — Bannon had publicly stated, “we’re a volunteer organization.”
“Those representations were false,” the indictment said.
Bannon, Brian Koflage, 38, of Mirimar Beach, Florida, Andrew Badolato, 56, of Sarasota, Florida, and Timothy Shea, 49, of Castle Rock, Colorado, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The defendants allegedly defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the crowdfunding campaign, which raised more than $25 million.
The indictment was brought by prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
“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,” acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release. “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.”
According to the indictment, Bannon took at least $1 million to pay personal expenses.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
“This is a BS charge and I think the charges will be dropped.”
Here is the indictment:
Looks damming. Even if they did skim some off the top, it looks to me they are still more successful than most charities at spending the money for the cause.
They're almost as honest as the DAs in Travis county Texas.
It’s Bannon, not Trump.
Hmmm. How did QAnon miss this in their all their prognostication?
Yeah. No way they’re doing anything with Trump’s blessing.
The cw2 has to start soon.
All part of The Plan. Trust Bagpipes.
Like in 2018.
They are thieves, murderers,and totalitarian Orks.
Daydreaming about the Dark Knight helping out with the President’s swamp clearing. Just because he can’t stand reading about it anymore.
Maybe this was the trade for ending the Trump taxes deep sea fishing expedition. Oh, wait...
Now, when can we expect an investigation of the Clinton foundation ? Put a Hatian in charge.
Steve Bannon is a big guy, and certainly he must have known that he would always be a target.
To jail Trump, they have to first jail the hard core Trump supporters.
I don’t know if the hard core supporters number thirty million or a hundred million, at this point.
Not happening!
Money solicited from New Yorkers; mailed into New York; deposited into New York bank accounts; etc. The federal venue statute is extraordinarily broad.
Harris was a prosecutor —plenty of makeup.
Two different prosecutors. This is the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, part of the DOJ, headed by a Trump appointee. The tax case is the New York County D.A., an elected Democrat.
Isn’t that headed by Cyrus VanceJr., one of the most radical Leftists out there?
Welcome to free republic.
Oh and Obama was a zero
Thanks for the comment. I missed that. The non profit must have sent materials through the postal service...
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