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.
Not sure what everyone is complaining about with SDNY. Audrey Strauss is Barr’s appointee. Trump and Barr fired Berman. Therefore - this would be Strauss doing this - and would be Barr’s “man” (woman) doing this.
Exactly.
Does the SDNY have any other purpose than advancing a political agenda?
No idea if the allegations are true, but there will be a burden on the defendants either way.
Issue advocacy is a lucrative industry on both sides of the political aisle with a big cash flow. Look at the donations to BLM in the name of social justice by corporations. Look at the Clinton Foundation where next to nothing goes to the “cause.”
Look at the NRA where your donations provided hundreds of thousands of dollars for Wayne’s wardrobe (and his posh travel).
I will reserve judgment on this until we learn more, but I will point out the double standard which is obvious and as stated above the Clinton Foundation is the model for this kind of scheme.
We Build the Wall is a Florida not for profit corporation with a Texas mailing address. What is the rationale for SDNY having jurisdiction in this case? Go Fund Me is a California Company. Probably incorporated in Delaware. Does this create SDNY jurisdiction?
From July...
Trump on private border wall segment: ‘It was only done to make me look bad’
A report indicated a section of the wall is already displaying structural troubles.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-border-wall-make-me-look-bad-357706
Saying it was done to embarrass him, President Donald Trump on Sunday said a reportedly defective section of his new border wall should not have been built by a private company.
ProPublica and the Texas Tribune reported Thursday that a segment of the wall along the Texas-Mexico border was showing dangerous “signs of erosion“ only months after being completed. The section was constructed by Fisher Industries of North Dakota, whose owner called the design a “Lamborghini.” It cost $42 million.
“I disagreed,” Trump tweeted Sunday, “with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps it now doesn’t even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles.“ (The misspelling of “perhaps” was part of the tweet.)
The SDNY is a very large office with hundreds of prosecutors of which some will be closet Democrats of those that have been accidentally overlooked by the Attorney General and Trump.
Once Attorney General Barr hears about Bannon’s arrest, the charges will be dropped and the rouge prosecutor will be fired and disbarred.
What do you expect them to do? If there is evidence, we will see it and we don’t want a two tiered justice system. If there isn’t it will get tossed. These are Democrats in NY trying to take down a conservative organization. Barr can’t just say sorry I don’t accept your indictment because they are Conservatives.
“secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle.””
I want to hear more about the “lavish lifestyle” of this maimed vet who lost an arm and both legs in Iraq to a 107mm rocket. These SDNY lawyers will burn in hell...
Blow those bagpipes...
They raised money for it from ads and people in NY.
My first thought
maybe opening the door?
Barr is a deep state stooge and needs to be FIRED now!
+1000!
Never liked or trusted Bannon. A showboat who acted as though he alone put Trump in the WH.
They answer to Barr. I find it hard to believe they kept him in the dark over an indictment of this magnitude.
By the end of the day do you think?
Especially stupid and careless of Bannon if they’ve legitimately caught him. I don’t think he’s ever been a true Trump supporter and I am not a fan.
But yet again, it is our side getting the indictments, other than the single little Patsy Klinesmith charge, four years in, never the other team.
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