New York federal prosecutors have charged a former aide to President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, for defrauding donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for building Mexico border wall through a fundraising campaign.
As stated, the campaign raised about $25 million for building the wall, having promised donors that funds raised would be used to finance the purpose of the campaign and that Bannon, through a non-profit organization under his control used more than $1 million of the funds to secretly pay for personal expenses.
The prosecutors listed others charged with the former presidential aide to include Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea, for their involvement in using funds donated to an online crowdfunding campaign called “We Build the Wall” meant for Mexico border wall for financing lavish lifestyles.
Confirming his arrest, a law enforcement official revealed that Bannon was arrested on a boat off the eastern coast of Connecticut on Thursday and that the former presidential aide alongside the other two defendants was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, facing up to 40 years in prison.
The Acting Manhattan US Attorney, Audrey Strauss, noted that Kolfage, the founder and public face of “We Build the Wall” diverted more than $350,000 of the donations for his personal use and secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle.
