Steve Bannon Arrested, Charged for Border Wall Fundraising Campaign Fraud

Steve Bannon and three others have been formally charged with fraud in the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign. The announcement came earlier this morning from New York federal prosecutors. Along with President Trump’s former campaign adviser, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea each face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. It’s believed they defrauded hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors in an alleged campaign to raise money for the president’s border wall, instead using the money for personal expenses. Bannon in particular is accused of “secretly” paying Kolfage more than $1 million to cover the stolen funds in his personal expenses. All four organizers were arrested this morning, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Neither Bannon, nor his lawyer, have responded for comment. He is expected to make his initial court appearance later today. It’s reported within a week of the campaign’s launch in 2018, $17 million were raised.