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.
Bannon lost a ton of credibility when he hitched his wagon to Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race back in 2017. It’s one thing to support a staunch conservative and a “culture warrior” in an important election, but when you come out and publicly support a weirdo and loser like that it really makes you look bad.
Exactly how does the Southern District of New York have any jurisdiction over a GoFundMe headquartered in Houston and Kolfage who I believe lives in Florida???????
And the money was spent for the most part in Texas and New Mexico.
I recall sending them 50 bucks, but later getting a full refund.
Yes, SDNY indeed. You nailed it.
Lefties are celebrating while simultaneously bleating that the Kevin Clinesmith evidence is a stretch.
We Build A Jail, I guess. Weren’t Kris Kobach and Sheriff Clarke and Tom Tancredo and Curt Schilling involved in this hilarious scam as well? Are they co-operating witnesses?
What or who is this?
COuld be a classic case where they don’t get the chance to defend themselves until after the election and there is no there there.
But it is also human nature to be tempted with such a windfall. What would be surprising is the supposedly already wealthy (was the big Seinfeld payoff to him just a money-laundering deal all along?) Bannon, however.
“Once Attorney General Barr hears about Bannon’s arrest, the charges will be dropped and the rouge prosecutor will be fired and disbarred.”
LOL, people used to write letters to Stalin and Hitler to report wrongdoing of NKVD and Gestapo. “If only the Fuhrer knew...”
Barr will do nothing...
Barr never should have been hired. It was reportedly a devil’s bargain truce the Trump family made with the Bush family.
What a gorgeous young family he has.
You’re really going to believe New York prosecutors over our guys right out of the box?
The same group of prosecutors who are going after Trump?
Who you going to choose there, New York, or Trump?
“”””Bannon was arrested this morning in Washington, D.C. on charges
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.
The indictment was brought by prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.”””
The four people charged do not live in New York.
Maybe the SDNY should focus on the corruption within its jurisdiction instead.
Or no wonder there is so much fraud and corruption in New York when the Feds are spending their time looking outside the district.
Why is there an instant stench to this????!
Remember Obama’s beer summit with the police and the professor?
I pulled the professor’s IRS Form 990 for his non profit. It’s public information. The fraud was very obvious.
Nothing was done about it.
Lord knows there aren’t any Democrats they could be going after./s
If you are a nationalist, patriot and anti globalist you will be targeted - eventually.
Particularly if you loot the phony non-profit you set up to pay off your hooker bills. SO UNFAIR
These problems are avoidable. What is needed is basic honesty and communication. The donees need only publish a detailed statement of how funds will be spent and an audited, ongoing account of how funds are being spent. It’s not rocket science.
This story is timed to counter the Clinesmith guilty plea and those that will follow.
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