Posted on 08/20/2020 7:44:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon was arrested Thursday for his alleged role in skimming donations from We Build the Wall, an online fundraising campaign aimed at gathering funds to construct the presidents controversial border wall, officials said.
Using a non-profit organization that he controlled, Bannon received over $1m from We Build the Wall, at least some of which Bannon used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in [his] personal expenses, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said.
Three other men, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, were also arrested in this alleged scheme to defraud the non-profit, which authorities said raised more than $25m.
The charges were contained in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Bannon and three others orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $25m to build a wall along the southern border of the United States.
A phone at the office of Bannons lawyer went unanswered Thursday morning. A spokeswoman for Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Department of Justices southern district of New York (SDNY) says that Bannon, and the others were arrested for leading the We Build The Wall online fundraising campaign that defrauded its many donors.
In a statement, acting US attorney Audrey Strauss said that the fund capitalized on donors interest in building a border wall while instead funneling millions of dollars to fund the lavish lifestyle of We Build The Wall founder and public face Brian Kolfage.
Philip Bartlett, inspector in charge, said: As alleged, not only did they lie to donors, they schemed to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Deep State Soviets. Unreal. AThisnis getting really really old! Not one damned corrupt pos democrat in the slammer.
We need more details. Its the Southern District of NY - the most leftist political Federal District AG in the country.
Pretty much every politician in DC runs a non-profit which pays them, and their friends, management fees or salaries.
How different is Bannons from others? Any political motivations 2+ months before an election? What angle will this D.A. take?
We need to see.
Now you can see exactly why Soros and Leftists are heavily targeting D.A., A.G. and law-enforcement positions.
When the law is vast and corrupt, the enforcement of law becomes a tyranny in itself - and the ability to pursue any crime, or ignore any crime, is the ultimate political weapon.
So, these arrests are made in advance if the election, but not much happens with the Durham investigation.
Grand juries are meeting, thus these indictments. Where are the Durham indictments of the main criminals?
I have never worked in at DOJ, but if the US Attorney’s office is like other prosecutorial offices, high profile cases such as this one would probably have to be cleared at the top, which would be at Main Justice ( the US Attorney in charge of the criminal division) or perhaps by the AG himself.
Yes, very convenient to have this happen before RNC Convention and so close to election. But Dems, i.e. Hillary, Charlie Rangel(offshore accts) are never held accountable. Wish Trump would have completely cleaned out top levels of all Agencies, FBI, DOJ, CIA, NSA...et al. Very sad that I do not trust any of them.
And, media will repeatedly now show pictures of Bannon with Trump, as Fox just did.
GOD help America!
and Haiti relief
The Clinton Foundation proves that if you are going to run a fraud and extortion scheme, go big, go international, go for billions.
Then bribe or blackmail anyone who tries to prosecute you.
Life is simple when you know the rules!
I agree.
This is nothing but a timed political hoax. When this turns into a big nothingburger after the election nothing will be done about it.
Southern District of New York - anymore be said?
So very true, and we are seeing it right before our eyes. Throw in the Academia and all forms of Media into the mix and you have what we have now, because an honest media could stand up to corrupt rule of law, and Universities could teach ethics and a pursuit of Truth that apply to all. But that is no longer happening in the USA and who knows what the consequence will be.
He had to keep the missus in bikinis!
When I donated, I didn't see the part where Kolflage wouldn't take any salary, I assumed he would be compensated for his work. To me, "100% of funds going to build the wall" implied proper compensation for everyone involved. The fact they were able to accomplish so much with such incredible pushback was very encouraging.
It did seem like Bannon rescued the project at the 11th hour after the fundraiser was sabotaged. From what the indictment alleges, they paid Kolflage's wife to maintain the letter of "Kolfage takes no salary" but keep Kolflage afloat, but they didn't indict his wife.
“Any political motivations 2+ months before an election?”
Of course, it is all politically motivated. Bannon’s website, The War Room, that advocated for Trump and his re-election, will now be compromised and possibly put out of commission unless there are others to carry it on.
Plus Bannon and his pro-Trump advocacy such as on Maria Bartiroma’s show on Fox on Sundays, where Bannon often appeared, will now be null. So, the left, in particular the corrupt New York AG’s office, has once again neutered a Trump friend and/or advocate right in the 3 months left leading up to the election. Another voice silenced.
Stone, Manafort, Bannon, Flynn, and I just heard that today a NY Judge has given a green light to that Cyrus Vance guy to pursue further getting Trump’s tax records that the NY prosecutor is after getting out to the public before the November election. The message is, never work for Trump because we will come after you with trumped up prosecutions to get rid of you.
They have weaponized the courts of law in NY to suit their political purposes. Our opponents are vicious, and Pubs better wake up real fast to counter what is happening in the DOJ/FBI and other deep state departments of gov’t that want to get rid of Trump and anyone who advocates for him, using any underhanded method they can. This is war folks, and we have to fight dirty in order to counteract those that hit under the belt all of the time, or we are doomed.
From what I read in another article it was Conservative Republicans who sounded the alarm for authorities.
And yet the Clintons’ walk free.
And yet the Clintons’ walk free.
And AOC and Omar are bit behind bars.
Bannon was arrested on his yact. Yowsa.
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