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.
“Democrats love a good political witch hunt before the elections. The US Marshal I met here said “nothing like the state of NY coming down to Florida to make a political show.” They couldn’t believe how they handled the situation. Amazed at how the indictment got so much wrong, like my boat was purchased before WBTW was even started. Just remember these are the guys who went after Trump and Rudy Giuliani last year!”
Audrey Strauss is currently the Acting U.S. Attorney for SDNY. She was previously the Deputy to former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, whom Barr fired last July at Trump’s request.
She was given the job by Barr after Trump’s initial pick was blocked.
I’m surprised he didn’t get the FBI SWAT/scuba team like Stone did.
Audrey Strauss is a Democrat need I say more?
Surely you don’t think Trump’s appointee has taken control of SDNY already? Think Deep State.
“A weirdo”? COME DOWN HERE to Central Alabama and say that to my face. Those of us who know him know better.
One of these days, your political birds-of-a-feather are going to throw you under the bus, just as you threw Steve Bannon under the bus. I hope you receive a reckoning in full for what you have done here, on this thread.
Your instincts on this are excellent. ALWAYS question the timing of Demonrats’ actions.
...a dedicated pandemic show starting way back on January 25th.
________________________
I was tracking it prior to that. I was in a business transaction with someone traveling in India at the time. We weren’t sure they would make it out of India or back to the US. A week after they returned, travel was banned from China.
Bannon is another salvo in the current war. There are so many reasons the other side would want to take him down.
Go ahead, be clueless.
But please don’t be insulting while you’re at it.
“Someone needs to checkout those Christians Feeding the Hungry Jews in Israel fundraising commercial on Fox. Israel one of the wealthiest nations on Earth having their seniors go hungry. Bullcrap”
Yup and the last 5 Christmas’s or so it’s been the same old lady hiding under the blanket hiding even deeper when the camera fully focuses on her. Their use of the sad sack poor me Manhattanese Jewish accent...a kind of mixture between Eeyore and “I’m wearing a yellow star on my chest” is quite heart tugging until you start analyzing what is going on.( See the movie Fiddler on the Roof where the young Rabbinical student asks “Is there a proper blessing for the Tsar” for the type of accent I am talking about)
YOu do recall how Bannon stabbed Don Jr in the back, do you not?
And I agree, it is likely a takedown from the other side—within the admin. Barr is letting ‘em do it.
THey hyped and hyped and hyped how horrible it was daily for months.
I wonder what BLM execs are spending their millions of dollars on. High class hookers and malt liquor?
“I said for a while that the build the wall fund was a scam and wouldn’t result in anything substantial but people wanted to believe that we could throw a buck on the pile to build the wall.”
I guess they don’t remember the Minute Man wall project.
Is it a federal crime?
This is almost seemingly premature and smells of desperation.
We need some hangings at SDNY.
So I guess you will be saving a seat for Trump on the throwing Bannon under the bus, bus
I’ll stick with Trump over Bannon any day if the week.
Re: 174 - The relevant issue is did Bannon et al mislead donors who gave to WBTW?
Apparently, there is some evidence that indicates that WBTW told potential donors / donors that 100 percent of the contributions would go to wall construction, Kolfage would not receive compensation, etc.
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