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The Story Behind Bannon's Arrest
American Thinker.com ^ | August 25, 2020 | Grant Baker

Posted on 08/25/2020 5:35:51 AM PDT by Kaslin

On August 20th, President Trump’s former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was arrested on fraud charges relating to the “We Build the Wall” construction project on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The news made for splashy headlines, but story behind the charges was more mundane. Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee veteran and Purple Heart recipient, used a crowdfunding website as part of a political gag aimed at raising $1 billion dollars to construct a U.S.-Mexico border wall. After unexpectedly raising $17 million dollars within the first week, Kolfage decided to hand off the suddenly real and ambitious initiative to someone with more experience, connections, and resources. Steve Bannon stepped up to help the fledgling project navigate the labyrinth of red tape and regulations designed to stop the project.

The crowdfunding website relinquished the funds to a nonprofit set up by Bannon as Kolfage continued to promote the project, raising additional funds while promising to spend 100% of funds on the wall’s construction and not to pay a salary to the organizers. Indeed, the bylaws of the new 501(c)(4) “We Build the Wall” nonprofit reflect these statements. Under Bannon, “We Build the Wall” began paying various construction, marketing, and legal vendors for work relating to the project. One of these vendors owned by Bannon associate Timothy Shea began paying Kolfage for marketing work on the project. Kolfage could not get paid as an organizer but could as an employee of a vendor, receiving a total of $350,000 since 2018 for his work on the project.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 202008; 20200820; 2020lection; bannon; bannonarrested; kolfage; sdny; stevebannon; webuildthewall
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1 posted on 08/25/2020 5:35:51 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York disagreed, conducting a pre-dawn raid to arrest yet another Trump ally”

The real reason.

“Although the maneuvers themselves were legal, two fraud charges were filed on the premise that the payments made to Kolfage by various legal, construction, and marketing vendors broke the promise that organizers would be unpaid.”

What he allegedly did was LEGAL, but FedGov has evaluated and is “enforcing” his business contract.

I didn’t send him money, but am not going to bash those who did.

This appears all politics all the time by our domestic enemies, who KNOW they are at war against all America stands for.


2 posted on 08/25/2020 5:40:39 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs
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To: Kaslin

day in court should clear this up.


3 posted on 08/25/2020 5:42:04 AM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world)
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To: Kaslin

I figured it would be something like this.

If it’s legal, why in the world would the DOJ get involved?

Deep state


4 posted on 08/25/2020 5:43:00 AM PDT by cyclotic (The most dangerous people are the ones that feel the most helpless)
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To: Kaslin

...and if a few more Republicans had been elected to the Senate, that Strauss bitch wouldn’t be in her position of power and Trump, like EVERY president before him, would have had his person in that office. But since Roberts and some Republicans in the Senate are RINOs, why should we vote at all. Right? Teach them RINOs a lesson. Right? Principle. Right?


5 posted on 08/25/2020 5:43:59 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here)
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To: Kaslin

As it worked out, made for bad optics. Why not hire someone else?


6 posted on 08/25/2020 5:50:39 AM PDT by Does so (Neo-Venezuelans = Democrats = Rioters = Looters)
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To: teeman8r

The question for the prosecutor would be: Do you go after ANY charitable agency that does the same practice? Would that include ones you contribute to? If not, why are you not under indictment, for using a position of trust to further political position rather than as an officer of the court to further justice?

DK


7 posted on 08/25/2020 5:51:57 AM PDT by Dark Knight
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To: Kaslin

Where is there any ‘crime’ ?

They paid Kolfage as an employee of one of the sub-organizations they hired to promote the charity- Did they expect him to work for free while traveling around the country doing promotion work?


8 posted on 08/25/2020 5:52:49 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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To: Kaslin

I’m glad I kept my powder dry.


9 posted on 08/25/2020 5:53:12 AM PDT by HighSierra5
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To: BobL

$350k a lot for fundraising, especially when you said you would take anything.

Most charities line plenty of pockets before anything gets accomplished.


10 posted on 08/25/2020 5:53:37 AM PDT by SteelPSUGOP
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To: cyclotic

I think this is New York State- does Barr control this?


11 posted on 08/25/2020 5:53:37 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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To: teeman8r
"day in court should clear this up."

Tell that to General Flynn. These monsters will not sleep until every last one of us is crushed.

12 posted on 08/25/2020 5:54:13 AM PDT by 60Gunner (The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. - Plato)
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To: Kaslin
Given what we've learned about the Rat Party,and The Swamp,over the last four years we *must* acknowledge the distinct possibility (actually,the *likelihood*) that Bannon has done *nothing* wrong and that he's just more collateral damage in the effort to bring down the President.
13 posted on 08/25/2020 5:54:28 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (The Rats Just Can't Get Over The Fact That They Lost A Rigged Election!)
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To: Mr. K
Every alleged crime done by a Republican or right winger is exaggerated beyond belief. Every crime actually commuted by a lefty is down played and or ignored. These are the rules.

There is no longer justice only politics.

14 posted on 08/25/2020 5:55:39 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Mr. K

IIRC it’s Federal,not state.


15 posted on 08/25/2020 5:56:48 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (The Rats Just Can't Get Over The Fact That They Lost A Rigged Election!)
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To: Mr. K

Ultimately he does. I’m hoping he’s playing the long game and letting SDNY destroy their own selves courtesy of the Honey Badger Steve Bannon


16 posted on 08/25/2020 5:57:04 AM PDT by cyclotic (The most dangerous people are the ones that feel the most helpless)
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To: Dark Knight

yes...

the corrupt judges will begin to see that they can no longer manipulate the law and keep their cushy jobs...

they will have to side with the law.


17 posted on 08/25/2020 5:57:18 AM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world)
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To: Gay State Conservative

When will something be done about the SDNY? They are a political weapon.


18 posted on 08/25/2020 5:59:20 AM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: Mr. K
US Attorney,Southern District of New York
19 posted on 08/25/2020 5:59:35 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (The Rats Just Can't Get Over The Fact That They Lost A Rigged Election!)
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To: SteelPSUGOP

they paid him that since 2018. That’s not a LOT of money over that period of time.


20 posted on 08/25/2020 6:01:53 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: non vehere est inermus)
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