WBtWall rt wing news kolfage

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</div><div>=</div><div>an 4 23</div><div>
</div><div>former president Donald Trump's border wall was used by an associate of his former campaign CEO, Steve Bannon, to fraudulently raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself. That associate has now been handed a four-year prison sentence.Brian Kolfage, a veteran of the United States Air Force, reportedly <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-leaders-we-build-wall-online-fundraising-campaign-plead-guilty-defrauding-hundreds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">admitted</a> to conspiring to defraud those who contributed to an online campaign to build a wall along the border of Mexico. Bannon, who also served as a White House strategist under <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/trump-news/?utm_campaign=SmartLinks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">Trump</a>, received a presidential pardon by Trump after being charged in connection with the same case, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/26/brian-kolfage-steve-bannon-ally-border-wall-fraud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">the Guardian</a>.<div id="story_page_incontent_p2_target" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5155643920455169" data-ad-slot="6339868799" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration-line: none; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; display: block;" /></div>"Bannon remains a prominent presence in far-right media and politics. In September, he was indicted in New York state court in Manhattan on money laundering and conspiracy charges over the planned wall," the outlet reported. "He pleaded not guilty. Trump's pardon of Bannon covered federal crimes but not alleged state crimes."
The Guardian further said that Kolfage, who lost his legs and a hand in Iraq, pleaded guilty last year in the federal case to misappropriating money meant for the "We Build the Wall campaign.""On Wednesday a US district judge, Analisa Torres, announced the 51-month sentence at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan," the Guardian wrote.In 2021, it was <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/we-build-the-wall-group/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" class="rm-stats-tracked" style="color: rgb(11, 13, 101); text-decoration-line: none; opacity: 1; transition: color 0.25s ease 0s, background 0.25s ease 0s, opacity 0.25s ease 0s;">reported</a> that the the embattled "We Build the Wall" group admitted it couldn't pay lawyer fees despite raising millions of dollars.Another former Bannon associate, Andrew Badolato, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison, according to the Guardian's article.</div><div><div></div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2022/05/problems-remain-for-we-build-the-wall-group-after-founders-guilty-plea/">https://www.alternet.org/2022/05/problems-remain-for-we-build-the-wall-group-after-founders-guilty-plea/</a></div><div>
</div><div>=</div></div><div>=<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall</a>we Build the Wall is an organization soliciting donations to build private sections of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_barrier" title="Mexico–United States barrier" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">wall along the Mexico–U.S. border</a>. It started as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoFundMe" title="GoFundMe" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">GoFundMe</a> campaign by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force" title="United States Air Force" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">United States Air Force</a> veteran <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kolfage" title="Brian Kolfage" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Brian Kolfage</a> in December 2018.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-wash_hea-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[2]</a> Kolfage announced the formation of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(4)" class="mw-redirect" title="501(c)(4)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">501(c)(4)</a> non-profit organization in January 2019.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Politico$20m-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[3]</a> By mid-2020, over $25 million had been raised<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[4]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Reason_2020-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[5]</a> and a 3-mile (4.8 km) section of fence had been built.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Propublica-2020-July-2-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[6]</a>Its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advisory_board" title="Advisory board" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">advisory board</a> includes politicians and activists with a hard-line stance on illegal immigration, including former secretary of state of Kansas <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kobach" title="Kris Kobach" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Kris Kobach</a>;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[7]</a> former congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo" title="Tom Tancredo" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Tom Tancredo</a>;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[8]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_USA" class="mw-redirect" title="Blackwater USA" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Blackwater USA</a> founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Prince" title="Erik Prince" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Erik Prince</a>; former Milwaukee sheriff <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Clarke(sheriff)" title="David Clarke (sheriff)" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">David Clarke</a>;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[9]</a> and former Trump chief strategist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bannon" title="Steve Bannon" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Steve Bannon</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Reason_2020-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[10]</a> who is chairman of the board.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-nyti_Bord-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[11]</a> On December 3, 2019, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidalgo_County,Texas" title="Hidalgo County, Texas" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Hidalgo County</a> judge ordered the group to temporarily halt all construction due to its plans to build adjacent to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande" title="Rio Grande" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Rio Grande</a>, which a lawyer for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Butterfly_Center" title="National Butterfly Center" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">National Butterfly Center</a> argued would create a flooding risk. On January 9, 2020, a federal judge lifted the injunction, allowing construction to resume.On August 20, 2020, the acting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.attorney" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. attorney" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">U.S. attorney</a> for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging Brian Kolfage, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bannon" title="Steve Bannon" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Steve Bannon</a>, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Reason_2020-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[12]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[13]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[14]</a> with a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors by illegally taking funds for personal use. The men face charges of conspiracy to commit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_and_wire_fraud" title="Mail and wire fraud" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">wire fraud</a> and conspiracy to commit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering" title="Money laundering" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">money laundering</a>. Each charge is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felony" title="Felony" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">felony</a> with maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Justice.gov-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[15]</a><div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" style="font-size: small; border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table;"><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Organizational_history" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Organizational history</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Beginnings_on_GoFundMe" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">1.1Beginnings on GoFundMe</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Formation_of_non-profit_organization" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">1.2Formation of non-profit organization</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Kobach_campaigns_for_Wall_and_Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">1.3Kobach campaigns for Wall and Senate</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Organization_controversies" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2Organization controversies</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Donation_concerns" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.1Donation concerns</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Florida_criminal_investigation" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.2Florida criminal investigation</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Criminal_indictments" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2.3Criminal indictments</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Sunland_Park_wall" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">3Sunland Park wall</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Mission/Rio_Grande_wall" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4Mission/Rio Grande wall</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Temporary_halt" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.1Temporary halt</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Erosion" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.2Erosion</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#Tax_liability" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">4.3Tax liability</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#See_also" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">5See also</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">6References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">7External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Organizational history[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Beginnings on GoFundMe[</h3>In December 2018, Kolfage started an attempt to raise $1 billion via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoFundMe" title="GoFundMe" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">GoFundMe</a>, initially called We Fund the Wall, for the construction of a border wall between the United States and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico" title="Mexico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Mexico</a>. Kolfage said the target figure was achievable, adding "This won't be easy, but it's our duty as citizens".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[16]</a> In an email to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Post" title="The Washington Post" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">The Washington Post</a>, Kolfage stated that he began the fundraiser as "political games from both parties" have been holding back funding for the wall.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-:1-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[17]</a> Within three days, over $9 million had been raised.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Hamblin9milSanDiegoUnionTrib-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[18]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Phoenix-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[19]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Formation of non-profit organization[</h3>In January 2019, Kolfage posted a message to the GoFundMe page that he had decided that raising money through a nonprofit would be more successful. A new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(4)" class="mw-redirect" title="501(c)(4)" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">501(c)(4)</a> nonprofit was created and called We Build The Wall Inc. through which Kolfage plans to have segments of the wall privately constructed through negotiations with landowners along the border.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Politico$20m-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[3]</a> GoFundMe however issued a statement after Kolfage's statement that it would give refunds unless the donor chose to opt into the change to where the donations would go.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[20]</a>By January 2019, former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Secretary_of_State" class="mw-redirect" title="Kansas Secretary of State" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Kansas Secretary of State</a> and anti-immigration activist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kobach" title="Kris Kobach" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Kris Kobach</a> had joined Kolfage's advisory board. Kobach said he was currently unpaid, but might take a paid position with Kolfage's organization. Kobach indicated the biggest problems along the border were "litter and security." In a phone call between him and the president on January 23, 2019, Kobach said <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Donald Trump</a>, endorsed the project saying, "...the project has my blessing, and you can tell the media that."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[21]</a> As the money Kolfage is accumulating is going to a 501(c)4, it could all be spent as "dark money" in political campaigns, with next to no public reporting of expenditures required.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Phoenix-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[19]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[22]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Kobach campaigns for Wall and Senate[</h3>On July 8, 2019, as he stood in front of a "Build the Wall" banner, in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavenworth,Kansas" title="Leavenworth, Kansas" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Leavenworth, Kansas</a>, Kobach announced his candidacy for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_Senate_election_in_Kansas" title="2020 United States Senate election in Kansas" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2020 United States Senate election in Kansas</a> to replace retiring Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Roberts" title="Pat Roberts" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Pat Roberts</a>, saying, referring to his campaign theme: "I've been on the southern border constantly in the past six months and I can tell you stories that will make your skin crawl." "I don't talk about what the president and I say in our communications, but let me just say he was very encouraging when we spoke a few days ago." A spokesperson confirmed Kobach had spoken to President Trump about the announcement of his candidacy on July 4.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[23]</a> Kobach received the endorsement of former congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo" title="Tom Tancredo" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Tom Tancredo</a>,[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">citation needed</a>] who is known for his political views on illegal immigration and is also a board member for We Build The Wall.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[24]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[25]</a> However, despite his best efforts, Kobach lost the Republican Primary to Representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Marshall(politician)" title="Roger Marshall (politician)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Roger Marshall</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[26]</a>On August 1, 2019, Kobach sent out a campaign fundraiser using both the corporate name and email list of "Wall" donors. Kobach's involvement with WBtW, which is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)4" class="mw-redirect" title="501(c)4" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">501(c)4</a> organization, has given cause for concern, as the fundraising and campaign mailing lists it is accumulating are prohibited from coordinating with his Senate campaign, but the ability and appetite for effective oversight within the Trump administration are anticipated to likely be inadequate.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Sunland-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[27]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause" title="Common Cause" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Common Cause</a> Vice President of Policy and Litigation Paul S. Ryan said, "At a minimum, this Kobach for Senate fundraising solicitation email appears to violate the 'paid for by' disclaimer requirement" for official campaign communications. Ryan specified the requirement that mandates disclosure of the financial sponsors who originate official political communications. Kobach's email might be legal if his campaign paid <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_market_value" title="Fair market value" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">fair market value</a> for use of the list. If that were the case, a "paid for by" disclaimer would be required but was not present in the solicitation. Ryan said, "If the Kobach committee did not pay fair market value for the cost of disseminating this email, then the committee has arguably committed the more serious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_in_the_United_States" title="Campaign finance in the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">campaign finance</a> law violation of receiving a corporate contribution in the form of a coordinated expenditure." WBtW is legally prohibited from financing federal political campaigns in any fashion.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[28]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[29]</a>On July 23, 2019, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Senate" title="Kansas Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Kansas Senate</a> President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Wagle" title="Susan Wagle" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Susan Wagle</a> of Wichita filed the paperwork with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Elections_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal Elections Commission" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Federal Elections Commission</a> necessary to run in the race for the vacant Senate seat. She criticized Kobach's employment in the controversial privately financed and constructed scheme to build the southern border wall. Wagle supports the building of a federally designed, bid and funded wall while saying Kobach's group undermines federal involvement. "We don't need some rogue organization going out and building the wall."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Lowry-30" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[30]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Organization controversies[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Donation concerns[</h3>Concern has been raised about how the money from the GoFundMe would be distributed after the fundraiser has ended. While on the fundraiser Kolfage has stated that he has contacted the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Donald_Trump" title="Presidency of Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Trump administration</a> about donating the money, and citizens can mail money as gifts to the United States, according to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_the_Treasury" title="United States Department of the Treasury" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">U.S. Treasury Department</a>. He has also cited the 2012 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument" title="Washington Monument" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Washington Monument</a> restoration project in which a philanthropist billionaire matched donations to restore the monument after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake" title="2011 Virginia earthquake" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">2011 East Coast earthquake</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-:1-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[17]</a> It is not clear if the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security" title="United States Department of Homeland Security" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Department of Homeland Security</a> can accept gifts, and if the money is accepted it would still go into a general fund that must be allocated by Congress.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[31]</a>Other concerns about the use of donations were raised in 2019 by backers and others who became concerned about the reported clandestine operations and assurances of progress without physical backing of land being purchased or structures being built. Kolfage has repeatedly changed the date for the beginning of the project under WeBuildTheWall Inc, having told <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politico" title="Politico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Politico</a> in February 2019 that groundbreaking would be in May or June 2019, then in a March 2019 interview with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Family_Radio" title="American Family Radio" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">American Family Radio</a> he claimed the date to be April 2019.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[32]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[33]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Florida criminal investigation[</h3>In June 2019, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Department_of_Agriculture_and_Consumer_Services" title="Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services</a>, which oversees Florida charities soliciting funds from the public, initiated investigations into several complaints, including allegations of questionable use of collected funds, the organization only having one director (Kolfage) on its board of directors instead of the mandatory minimum of three required for a nonprofit organization, and filing false statements about the board. Kolfage responded that the investigation was politically motivated by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Fried" title="Nikki Fried" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Nikki Fried</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[34]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-no_comment-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[35]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Criminal indictments[</h3>In August 2020, the Acting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney_for_the_Southern_District_of_New_York" title="United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">U.S. Attorney for the Southern District in New York</a> announced indictments of Kolfage and Bannon for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[36]</a> Kolfage allegedly took more than $350,000 for his personal use and Bannon over $1 million to cover personal expenses and pay Kolfage, while concealing their use of donor funds by "creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Justice.gov-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[15]</a> Financier Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea were also charged.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[37]</a> All four have pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for May 24, 2021.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[38]</a>Bannon (but not his accused accomplices) was pardoned by outgoing president Donald Trump at the end of his presidency, but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_District_Attorney" class="mw-redirect" title="Manhattan District Attorney" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Manhattan District Attorney</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Vance_Jr." title="Cyrus Vance Jr." style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Cyrus Vance</a> has continued to pursue Bannon under state law. According to CNN, shortly after the pardon, Vance subpoenaed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Fargo" title="Wells Fargo" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Wells Fargo</a> for records related to Bannon's role in We Build the Wall.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-39" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[39]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sunland Park wall[</h2>The organization began construction on Project 1 using donated funds over <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day" title="Memorial Day" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Memorial Day</a> 2019. In an unannounced operation, the organization constructed between 1/2 and 1-mile of bollard fencing using "weathered steel" on a section of the border in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunland_Park,New_Mexico" title="Sunland Park, New Mexico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Sunland Park, New Mexico</a>, on the property of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Eagle_Brick_Company&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="American Eagle Brick Company (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">American Eagle Brick Company</a>, near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso,Texas" title="El Paso, Texas" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">El Paso, Texas</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-KOB-40" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[40]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-texa_Bord-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[41]</a>The 18-foot (5.5 m) high fencing was intended to close a gap between a 21-mile (34 km) section of existing fencing along the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande" title="Rio Grande" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Rio Grande</a> and mountainous terrain which the Border Patrol said was allowing up to 100 illegal immigrants and $100,000 in illegal drugs to enter the US each night.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Dinan-42" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[42]</a> Jeff Allen, owner of the property upon which the wall was constructed, stated, "They are doing an incredible job. I have fought illegals on this property for six years. I love my country, and this is a step in protecting my country."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-CNN-43" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[43]</a> The fence constructed on Allen's land reportedly cost $6–8 million of the donated funds. The section begins on the Rio Grande river and extends over 2,500 feet (760 m) to the lower elevations of Mount Cristo Rey in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico" title="New Mexico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">New Mexico</a>. Construction was done by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tommy_Fisher&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tommy Fisher (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Tommy Fisher</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_Industries" title="Fisher Industries" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Fisher Sand & Gravel</a>, a company that President Trump has suggested should be contracted by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers" title="United States Army Corps of Engineers" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">United States Army Corps of Engineers</a>, or the US government for federally funded border wall construction.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Dinan-42" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[42]</a> Allen had previously worked with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Constitutional_Patriots" title="United Constitutional Patriots" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">United Constitutional Patriots</a>, allowing them to conduct operations from his land, despite having a hostile attitude towards on his land. The United Constitutional Patriots helped with site visits by We Build the Wall (WBtW) and supplied video that was used in their funding campaign.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-thei_Vigi-44" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[44]</a>Kobach stated that WBtW has plans to construct further barriers on private lands adjoining the border in Texas and California.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-CNN-43" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[43]</a> Now the General Counsel for the organization, he said, "We do have agility, and speed and determination, and that's what I hope you see on display when you look at this wall."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-45" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[45]</a>Construction was delayed for two days after the mayor issued a "cease and desist" order, but resumed on May 30, 2019, after research on zoning showed the structure was within code.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-KOB-40" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[40]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-texa_Bord-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[41]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-46" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[46]</a> In May, after completing a demonstration half-mile wall on private property in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunland_Park,New_Mexico" title="Sunland Park, New Mexico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Sunland Park, New Mexico</a>, WBtW was accused by local officials of failing to first obtain required work permits. He wrote on Twitter his group had "planned for battle" rushing the project during a holiday weekend "when the corrupt city was partying." That tweet was later deleted. Kolfage also tweeted "So Sunland Park officials support open borders, the sex slaves and illegal drugs coming into their communities?"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a> Both Sunland Park and WBtW said they were laboring to get the project into compliance. A month later, local officials said the necessary permits had yet to be obtained; the city had filed a complaint against landowner on which the wall was constructed. In June 2019, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Boundary_and_Water_Commission" title="International Boundary and Water Commission" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">International Boundary and Water Commission</a> (IBWC) determined that We Build The Wall had built its wall across federally-owned land and had built and locked a gate across a road leading to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Boundary_Marker_No.1,U.S.and_Mexico" title="International Boundary Marker No. 1, U.S. and Mexico" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Monument One</a> without required permits. The IBWC also accused WBtW of installing a gate for the wall on federal land in lieu of proper permits or authorizations, while illegally preventing access to waterways and a public monument.According to emails obtained via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open_Records_Act&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Open Records Act (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Open Records Act</a> requests, WBtW was informed about such permits and studies that were required to build the gate on federal property but ignored them and proceeded with construction anyway. "We are literally making a mountain out of a molehill," said attorney Rich Kaye, who represented WBtW, in writing to the IBWC on June 3. The next day, Kolfage tweeted video of the gate being constructed. IBWC officials said the gate needed to be kept open during daytime work hours. They also said that the half-mile structure hadn't prevented people from illegal border crossings, but rather channeled them to cross at a nearby dam which created a "safety and security problem." Kolfage responded with accusations, in lieu of any evidence, that both Sunland Park and IBWC officials were corrupt and conspiring with Mexican drug cartels.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Buzz-48" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[48]</a> WBtW and the IBWC eventually resolved their dispute. As a result, the gate is kept open during the day and closed and locked at night, which, according to Kolfage, is fine, because "all the traffic comes through that area at night."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-49" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[49]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mission/Rio Grande wall[</h2>On October 13, 2019, marked the beginning of Project 2 along the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande" title="Rio Grande" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Rio Grande</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission,Texas" title="Mission, Texas" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Mission, Texas</a>. The website indicated that projects 2 and 3 were at 67% of their fundraising goals and could include up to 35 additional miles (56 km). This is significantly more mileage than Project 1.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-50" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[50]</a> Fisher called it the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini" title="Lamborghini" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Lamborghini</a>" of walls, versus the government's "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_and_buggy" title="Horse and buggy" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">horse and buggy</a>" design.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-inspect-51" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[51]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Temporary halt[</h3>On December 3, 2019, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidalgo_County,Texas" title="Hidalgo County, Texas" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Hidalgo County</a> district judge Randy Crane ordered the group to temporarily halt all construction due to its plans to build in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodplain" title="Floodplain" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">floodplain</a> the Rio Grande, which a lawyer for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Butterfly_Center" title="National Butterfly Center" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">National Butterfly Center</a> argued would create a flooding risk. According to Kolfage, "We have many people who try to stop us legally with silly attempts, and in the end we always prevail. I would put a 50/50 chance [that the court order] is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news" title="Fake news" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">fake news</a>, and if it's not it will be crushed legally pretty fast".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-52" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[52]</a> Kolfage also tweeted the butterfly center had "rampant sex trade".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a>The order was ignored and work did not stop.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-Lakhani-53" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[53]</a>IBWC noted to Judge Crane that WBtW didn't supply the hydraulic models necessary for construction along the banks of the river, only providing a six-page analysis. Even during the court order, Fisher Industries continued to perform preparatory excavation.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a>On January 9, 2020, a federal judge lifted an injunction, allowing a construction firm to move forward with the 3 mi (4.8 km) project in the floodplain of the Rio Grande River. The lawsuit continued, however, as IBWC ran hydraulic modeling.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-54" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[54]</a>On February 17, 2020, We Build the Wall announced that Project 2 had been completed.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-55" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[55]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Tribune" title="The Texas Tribune" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The Texas Tribune</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProPublica" title="ProPublica" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">ProPublica</a> also noted that in February IBWC Commissioner Jayne Harkins donated $500 to Trump and a Republican PAC.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Erosion[</h3>In March 2020, IBWC released their 24-page hydraulic analysis, noting the treaty was violated for hydraulic changes but that overall the problems were relatively minor.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-inspect-51" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[51]</a>In July, Assistant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Attorney" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Attorney" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">U.S. Attorney</a> Eric Paxton Warner told Judge Crane that four areas of erosion needed to be fixed. The attorney for the Butterfly Center said the erosion is "massive", and "You can see the erosion actually made a hole under the wall." The consensus among hydrologists and engineers ProPublica talked to said the Rio Grande has scoured against the base of the wall, causing erosion and putting the wall in danger of falling down. Mark Courtois, a Fisher attorney, called it "a normal part of new construction projects like this" and denied it was serious. Kolfage stated it was "designed for floods", but engineers and hydrologists raised concerns, noting that the IBWC model was incorrect. The Fisher wall is also much shallower than federal walls, 2.5 feet (0.76 m) versus 6 feet (1.8 m) or more. The construction also removed vegetation from slopes, increasing erosion risk. The parties agreed to a detailed inspection of the wall on July 8.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-flood-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[47]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-inspect-51" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[51]</a>In response to the ProPublica report and erosion problems, Trump tweeted that "I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall", going on to say "It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sic" title="Sic" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">sic</a>] it now doesn't even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-apne_Trum-56" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[56]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-texa_Trum-57" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[57]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tax liability[</h3>The 638 acres (2.58 km2) of land the wall was built on is part of farmland that belongs to Neuhaus and Sons, and the wall added over $20 million in taxable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_development" title="Land development" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">land improvement</a>, increasing the tax burden by 75 times. In January 2020, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_Industries" title="Fisher Industries" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Fisher Industries</a> started a lease-purchase agreement with Neuhaus and Sons for the land under the wall, but had not completed the ownership transfer by their court hearing on December 12, 2020, citing a problematic land survey by Fisher. Fisher's attorney, Mark Courtois, was hopeful the US government would become owners of both the wall and land. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Customs_and_Border_Protection" title="U.S. Customs and Border Protection" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">U.S. Customs and Border Protection</a> (CBP) Public Affairs Officer Thomas Gresback said that the wall was privately paid for and on private property, and CBP does not have anything to do with the project. CBP is constructing its RGV-03 project wall outside the floodplain 0.3 miles (0.48 km) away.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-58" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[58]</a> As of July 2021, the property had been reassessed at 100 times its original value, and Fisher was hoping to sell a 3-mile section of wall that had cost $30 million to build.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall#cite_note-59" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">[59]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also[</h2><ul w="w" skins="skins" vector="Vector" resources="resources" common="common" images="images" bullet-icon.svg="bullet-icon.svg" d4515="d4515" margin="margin" em="em" px="px" padding="padding" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style-image: url("><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_of_the_American_Republic" title="Citizens of the American Republic" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Citizens of the American Republic</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13767" title="Executive Order 13767" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background: none;">Executive Order 13767</a></li></ul><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">References</h2><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">...[many]</div>
=<div>=an no lnxno lnx3rd guy going to trial and bannon may be forced to testify?Two Steve Bannon associates plead guilty to criminal charges in 'We Build the Wall' case Alex Henderson April 22, 2022   “War Room” host and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was among the Donald Trump allies who Trump granted a presidential pardon near the end of his presidency. Bannon was facing criminal charges in the We Build the Wall case along with fellow MAGA Republicans Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, who continued to face charges after Trump left the White House — and Kolfage and Badolato, Business Insider reports, have pled guilty to charges that include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and making false statements on a tax return.We Build the Wall was a crowdfunding campaign for a U.S./Mexico border wall, and according to the indictment, it raised $25 million. But federal prosecutors alleged that some of the money was diverted to nonprofits linked to Bannon. Kolfage served as president of the We Build the Wall project, and both Kolfage and Badolato agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors in March.Business Insider’s Rebecca Cohen reports, “Prosecutors said (that) Kolfage paid himself $200,000 a month using donations during the scheme and also used supporters' money on luxuries like jewelry, an SUV, and payments for a boat. Kolfage also admitted to underreporting said donations on his tax returns to avoid paying taxes.”When Kolfage and Badolato appeared in federal court on Thursday, April 21, Cohen notes, they “apologized for their actions and admitted they knew what they were doing was wrong at the time.”Although Bannon, thanks to Trump, enjoyed a get-out-of-jail-free card in the We Build the Wall case, he is now facing unrelated charges in another matter. Bannon was charged with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s select committee on the January 6, 2021 insurrection.FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLESSteve Bannon is pushing an anti-Biden cryptocurrency — but a new ... ›Far-right MAGA Republicans admire Vladimir Putin's propaganda ... ›Steve Bannon has an 'arcane' legal strategy to avoid prison: report ... ›RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEBSteve Bannon: Trump ally indicted for ignoring subpoena from ... ›Steve Bannon, Unrepentant - The American Prospect ›'We Build the Wall' Co-Founder Indicted on Another Charge | Florida ... ›<div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div>=<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/federal-prosecutors-have-steve-bannons-murky-nonprofit-in-their-sights">https://www.propublica.org/article/federal-prosecutors-have-steve-bannons-murky-nonprofit-in-their-sights</a><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="1.0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Near the end of a lengthy indictment detailing fraud allegations against Stephen Bannon, former Donald Trump campaign CEO and chief strategist and his associates, federal prosecutors reveal that they intend to seize the assets of a murky nonprofit organization Bannon launched in 2017 to promote “economic nationalism.”<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="1.1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The group is Citizens of the American Republic, a California-based nonprofit that serves as a platform for Bannon’s films and podcasts that promote Trump’s ideology. Throughout the 24-page indictment, the group appears to be referenced as “Non-Profit-1” in a scheme in which Bannon and his partners were allegedly looting a crowdsourced charity, We Build the Wall, for personal gain. The indictment never outright states that “Non-Profit-1” is Citizens of the American Republic, but it describes it as an “organization founded by [Bannon] with the stated purpose of promoting economic nationalism and American sovereignty,” which closely matches the nonprofit’s own stated aims.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="1.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The indictment alleges that “Non-Profit-1” received over $1 million through the scheme and funneled part of it to Brian Kolfage, the military veteran who raised money to build a privately funded wall to help Trump block off the southern border.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="1.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The document also sheds light on an oblique financial trail linking a loose-knit group of private businesses and nonprofit organizations politically aligned with Trump. In addition to Bannon’s nonprofit and We Build the Wall, federal investigators are moving to seize assets from four other entities, including two affiliated with Kolfage — a defunct right-wing news site called Freedom Daily that operated out of Florida and America First Medical, a medical supplies company Kolfage formed in Wyoming to sell masks in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="1.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.S. rules allowing so-called dark money groups like Bannon’s to hide the identity of their donors helps them maintain a shroud of secrecy, which is only partially pierced by a criminal indictment and the subpoena power of investigators.<aside data-pp-blocktype="canned-promo" class="canned-promo partnership-texastribune large left" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.625rem 0px; padding: 1rem 120.188px; border-width: 1px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: none; clear: left; width: 808.125px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p class="dek" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.625rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;" /></aside><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="3.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The only reason any of this is coming to light is it turns out that the money that was being collected wasn’t necessarily used for the promised purposes and instead it was used to enrich someone,” said Daniel Weiner, deputy director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s Election Reform Program. “The secrecy, at least for the people who helped design the system, is a feature not a bug.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="5.0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Kolfage <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-indictment-war-hero-insight/decorated-veteran-at-center-of-u-s-fraud-charges-on-border-wall-fundraising-idUSKBN25H27G" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">told Reuters</a> in 2019 that he had earned seven figures through creating and selling conservative websites like Freedom Daily.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="5.1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Bannon played a critical role in helping Kolfage set up We Build the Wall Inc. after GoFundMe, the crowdfunding platform he had been using, accumulated millions in donations from supporters, the indictment charges. GoFundMe demanded that Kolfage set up a legitimate nonprofit to accept donations. The effort ultimately raised over $25 million after promising — falsely, the indictment alleges — that the donations would not benefit Kolfage.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="5.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">That “removes all self-interest taint” and gives “Brian Kolfage saint hood,” stated Andrew Badolato, a longtime Bannon associate who was also indicted, in a text to Bannon that prosecutors quoted. Badolato and his lawyer did not respond to emails requesting comment.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="5.3" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bannon promoted the wall effort on his podcast “War Room: Pandemic” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7hvhjM65-w" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">as recently as Wednesday</a>, when he had Kolfage on to discuss the situation at the border.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="5.4" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“You’ve been the leader of this, assisting President Trump in building this wall in these tough areas,” Bannon said to Kolfage.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><aside data-pp-id="6" data-pp-blocktype="promo" class="promo large left" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.625rem 0px; padding: 1rem 120.188px; border-width: 1px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: none; clear: left; width: 808.125px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h3 class="aside-head" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3; vertical-align: baseline;">[Read More</h3><div class="story-entry section-articles" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="description" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="hed" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/he-built-a-privately-funded-border-wall-its-already-at-risk-of-falling-down-if-not-fixed" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">He Built a Privately Funded Border Wall. It’s Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed.</a></h4><p class="dek" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.375rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;">Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say.</div></div></aside><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Bannon was arrested on Thursday by federal agents in Connecticut while on board a superyacht owned by wealthy Chinese businessman Guo Wengui. Guo also <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/steve-bannon-guo-wengui-private-jet-campaign-finance-law" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">allowed Bannon</a> to use his private jet to fly around promoting Republican congressional candidates in 2018, an arrangement that experts said could run afoul of campaign finance laws banning foreign donations.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bannon and his lawyers did not return emails from ProPublica requesting comment. He <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/stephen-bannon-arrested-charged/2020/08/20/6d46847c-e2ea-11ea-b69b-64f7b0477ed4_story.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">told reporters</a> after posting bond that the indictment was a “fiasco” to “stop people who want to build the wall.” On Friday, Kolfage wrote on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Brian.Kolfage.jr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook page</a> that the indictment is a “witch hunt” and the work of a “weaponized judicial system” trying to take down Trump insiders.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Kolfage did not return an email from ProPublica for comment after the indictment. On Thursday, Trump continued to distance himself from We Build the Wall, telling reporters that he thought “it was done for showboating reasons” and that he didn’t know that Bannon was linked to the group. A spokesperson for Trump told Fox News that the president did not know the other people involved with the project.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.3" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Citizens of the American Republic raised around $4.5 million in 2018, according to its <a href="https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2020/01/29/COAR2018Form990PublicDisclosureCopy.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">tax filings</a>, most of which came through six- and seven-figure donations from just a handful of donors, whose names are not disclosed. A single donor gave $2 million. The group’s purpose is to “educate the American people” about issues including “economic nationalism,” “social policy and respect for traditional American values” and “America First foreign policy,” among other issues, according to the filing.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.4" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The group’s <a href="https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/823509136_201712_990EO_2018082115604556.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">first filings</a>, for the 2017 tax year, show no donations to the nonprofit. The 2018 tax filings show transactions that occurred prior to the timeline covered in the federal indictment.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.5" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As a “social welfare” nonprofit organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, the organization is not required to disclose its donors. The contact number listed on the group’s tax forms belongs to its accountant, Robert Watkins, who did not return a message requesting comment.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="7.6" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The organization made just $15,000 in grants in 2018. The filings show $250,000 in loans and payments to Bannon’s film company and $40,000 in payments to Bannon’s nephew, Sean.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><aside data-pp-id="8" data-pp-blocktype="promo" class="promo small right" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8.29688px 0px 33.2344px 33.2344px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: right; clear: right; width: 327.328px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h3 class="aside-head" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0.625rem 0px 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(216, 214, 211); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3; vertical-align: baseline;">Read More</h3><div class="story-entry section-articles" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="lead-art" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative;">
</div><div class="description" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="hed" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/steve-bannon-guo-wengui-private-jet-campaign-finance-law" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Steve Bannon’s Use of Private Jet Linked to Chinese Businessman Could Violate Campaign Finance Law</a></h4><p class="dek" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;">The former Trump adviser used a plane apparently owned by businessman Guo Wengui. Americans are barred from receiving services for campaigns donated by foreign nationals.</div></div></aside><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="9.0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Bannon is the group’s president and is described as working 80 hours a week for the group with no salary. His sister Mary E. Meredith, who is vice president, earned $20,000 for her 40 hours per week of work. Meredith did not respond to messages requesting comment. Other top officials are Dan Fleuette, a longtime Bannon associate, and lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Fleuette did not respond to a LinkedIn message requesting an interview.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="9.1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mitchell has served on the boards of several right-leaning nonprofits, including the National Rifle Association and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, led by Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore. She declined an interview request.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="9.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">The filings show more than $1.1 million flowing out of the nonprofit to various large vendors, although the nature of their work is unclear. Nearly $850,000 went toward travel, and more than $1.4 million to “conferences, conventions and meetings.” The filing says that Citizens of the American Republic funded two Bannon documentaries, about the 2016 campaign and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and paid for promoting them.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="9.3" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2018, Citizens of the American Republic paid nearly $144,000 to a company called Platinum Advertising Corporation for “websites/social media.” The address given for Platinum Advertising in the filing, 30 N. Gould St., Suite R, in Sheridan, Wyoming, is the same address as the medical supplies company Kolfage formed, America First Medical.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="9.4" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Wyoming has particularly lax business transparency laws, and Platinum Advertising appears to be a shell corporation. Its secretary is listed in <a href="https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/FilingDetails.aspx?eFNum=059000168148210110228055038201108214186047063162" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">state filings</a> as Gerald Pitts, the founder and president of Wyoming Corporate Services, which specializes in incorporating businesses to shield assets from taxation or disclosure. A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/oukwd-uk-usa-shell-companies-idAFTRE75R22L20110628" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">2011 investigation by Reuters</a> found that Pitts was listed as “a director, president or principal for at least 41 companies” registered at a single address in Wyoming.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Pitts did not respond to an email requesting comment.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A second company paid by Citizens of the American Republic, Fortress FM, received more than $191,000 in 2018 for “security, logistics, and training.” The company address listed on the 2018 filing is a post office box in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that is also used by a firm of accountants, <a href="https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/FilingDetails.aspx?eFNum=122154231174036130134174207190125222097062022097" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Kercher-Jarrett LLC</a>.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">T. Gary Kercher and Wayne Jarrett, who are listed on Kercher-Jarrett LLC’s business filings, did not respond to messages requesting comment.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.3" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the charges Bannon is facing is that of conspiring to commit money laundering. The <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/2018NMLRA_12-18.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">2018 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment</a>, prepared by the departments of Treasury, Justice and Homeland Security and U.S. regulatory agencies, noted the risks presented by a lax approach to shell corporations.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.4" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The ease with which companies can be incorporated under state law, and how little information is generally required about the company’s owners or activities, raises concerns about a lack of transparency,” the report said.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.5" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Kolfage worked with Fisher Industries, a North Dakota-based construction firm, to help build the two border fences. We Build the Wall funded the construction of one stretch of border fence in New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas, and contributed 5% of funds for Fisher to build a $42 million fence along the banks of the Rio Grande south of Mission, Texas.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.6" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/he-built-a-privately-funded-border-wall-its-already-at-risk-of-falling-down-if-not-fixed" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">A ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigation</a> found that the Rio Grande Valley project suffered from major erosion just months after it was finished. Engineers warned that could result in segments of the fence toppling into the river if not fixed. Fisher Industries’ CEO has dismissed the concerns and said that he will fix any problems.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.7" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite criticism of the wall-building project from the president, his administration has awarded Tommy Fisher, CEO of Fisher Industries, about $2 billion worth of federal contracts to build segments of the border wall for the government — at least two of them while a federal audit over concerns of “inappropriate influence” by the president is pending.<p data-pp-blocktype="copy" data-pp-id="11.8" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Fisher’s attorney told ProPublica and the Tribune that his client has not received any other money beyond the construction funding provided and has no other business with We Build the Wall.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><div class="bottom-notes" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.5em 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="note contributor-line" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/perla-trevizo" style="font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Perla Trevizo</a> and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/kirsten-berg" style="font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Kirsten Berg</a> contributed reporting.</div></div>=<div>=<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/09/donald-trump-campaign-aide-was-paid-20000-a-month-by-steve-bannon-nonprofit-linked-to-alleged-fraud/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/09/donald-trump-campaign-aide-was-paid-20000-a-month-by-steve-bannon-nonprofit-linked-to-alleged-fraud/</a>salonsenior Trump campaign official Jason Miller appears to have been paid about $20,000 a month for work done for a nonprofit co-founded by indicted former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, according to public court filings obtained by Salon.The nonprofit — now <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/25/federal-prosecutors-have-steve-bannons-murky-nonprofit-in-their-sights_partner/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">reportedly</a> under investigation in connection with the <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/20/former-trump-strategist-steve-bannon-arrested-on-charges-of-defrauding-border-wall-donors/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">federal charges against Bannon</a> — started paying Miller the same month that Bannon’s associates learned they were under federal investigation, court documents and public reports show.The Trump campaign has not disclosed any payments to Miller since <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/05/trump-campaign-hires-jason-miller-303582" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">news</a> of his hiring broke in June — nor has the campaign disclosed any salary payments to campaign manager Bill Stepien, according to mandatory federal <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00003418&committee_id=C00580100&committee_id=C00618371&committee_id=C00618389&recipient_name=jason+miller&recipient_name=national+public+affairs&recipient_name=stepien&two_year_transaction_period=2020" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">filings</a>. Publicly available court documents obtained by Salon together with Federal Election Commission (FEC) records suggest that the campaign is paying Miller $35,000 a month, apparently <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/07/28/this-scheme-is-illegal-trump-campaign-masked-170-million-in-payments-watchdog-alleges/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">through non-public indirect transactions</a>.<div class="story_page_incontent_instagram_container story_page_incontent_ig" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/20/former-trump-strategist-steve-bannon-arrested-on-charges-of-defrauding-border-wall-donors/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">charged</a> Bannon, along with co-defendants Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, with running a multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering scheme, in which they secretly siphoned millions of dollars in payments from their We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign through a shell company as well as an unnamed nonprofit. The group disguised the allegedly unlawful transactions with fake invoices to hide their own personal takes, according to the indictment.bannon denies the charges.<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.3em;">C.O.A.R.</h3>Though prosecutors do not explicitly name Bannon’s nonprofit in the <a href="https://justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1306611/download" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">indictment</a>, the document describes “Non-Profit-1” as predating the crowdfunding campaign and being dedicated to promoting “economic nationalism and American sovereignty.” This would appear to describe the Bannon-founded nonprofit called Citizens of the American Republic (COAR), which first <a href="https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayAll.do?dispatchMethod=displayAllInfo&Id=1472844&ein=823509136&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchAll&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=&postDateFrom=&exemptTypeCode=al&submitName=Search&sortColumn=orgName&totalResults=1&names=citizens+of+the+american+republic&resultsPerPage=25&indexOfFirstRow=0&postDateTo=&state=All+States" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">filed</a> a tax return in 2017. Its <a href="https://citizensoftheamericanrepublic.org/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">website</a> says the group “seeks to advance the ideals of Economic Nationalism and American Sovereignty.”Miller co-hosted a podcast with Bannon for COAR, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-war-room-radio.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">reportedly</a> beginning in October 2019.In an Aug. 23 interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Miller <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz0HgSpEtHA" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">told</a> host Chuck Todd that although he had worked for COAR, he had not been interviewed by government investigators.“I have not, and from public reports it looks like this investigation was going long before the podcast even started, the podcast and the radio show that I co-hosted with Steve,” Miller said.While the exact timeline of the federal investigation is not a matter of public record, the Florida Agriculture Commissioner <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article245107440.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">reportedly</a> opened a probe into We Build the Wall in May 2019, but had not been contacted by SDNY investigators despite referring elements of the case to the FBI.However, the charging document against Bannon and the other three men accused says they were first alerted that they were under federal investigation by a financial institution around October 2019, after which group members began communicating via encrypted messaging apps.Miller had joined Bannon’s podcast <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-war-room-radio.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">that same month</a>, and ordinal invoices that Miller references in public filings in Florida court suggest COAR began to pay him around that time.Those filings, obtained by Salon, show that Miller appears to have been paid around $20,000 a month for his work at COAR, from October 2019 until as recently as April 2020 — six months after Bannon’s group allegedly took steps to conceal communications after learning they were under investigation.It’s not clear what, if anything, Miller’s COAR income, effectually a $240,000 annual salary, covered in addition to podcasts and radio shows, nor is it clear exactly why the business relationship ended when it did, around April 2020. By comparison, COAR’s 2018 tax returns, which predate the investigation timeline but are the most recent available, <a href="https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/823509136_201812_990O_2020020617121195.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">show</a> that the highest-paid official at that time was making $55,000 a year, and the highest-paid contractor — a Wyoming entity called Fortress FM — received $191,000 for “security, logistics and training.”Federal prosecutors say in the Bannon indictment that <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/25/federal-prosecutors-have-steve-bannons-murky-nonprofit-in-their-sights_partner/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">they are seeking to seize assets belonging to “Non-Profit-1” — presumably COAR</a>.“These allegations are very serious and I hope that Steve has some good answers for the things he’s been accused of,” Miller told Todd. “It’s not something I worked on. I don’t know anything about the financial dealings of this organization or how it worked, and I hope Steve has an opportunity to tell his side of the story.”However, Delgado alleged in court that Teneo and Miller did not in fact discontinue their relationship, but that Teneo privately began paying SHW Partners immediately after Miller’s public departure.Miller was ordered by a Florida judge to resume paying Delgado $3,167 a month in child support beginning this July, per court filings, but when he failed to comply at the end of the month Delgado motioned that the court hold him in contempt. The current status of the case is unclear.However, Miller’s most recent filings in the Delgado case, obtained by Salon, suggest that the Trump campaign is currently paying him $35,000 a month. Miller claims current monthly income of an even $35,000, and had no other known clients when he took the position and has disclosed no new clients since — it would be unusual, but not unthinkable, for a senior campaign official to have other, secret clients while on the campaign.A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to Salon’s questions.(Miller also claims in those filings liabilities of $250,000 to the IRS and $65,000 to the Commonwealth of Virginia, but because he does not itemize debt amortization, both might be projections for taxes owed for the current fiscal year — Miller is self-employed. He also says he’s in possession of a baseball card collection worth $10,000.)FEC <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00003418&committee_id=C00580100&committee_id=C00618371&committee_id=C00618389&recipient_name=jamestown+associates&two_year_transaction_period=2020" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">filings</a> show that the Trump campaign has made a number of payments to Jamestown this year of between approximately $7,500 and $45,500, through June. In July, the campaign’s expenditures to Jamestown increased significantly, including <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202008209266851174" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">a $78,394 payment</a> on July 13 and <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202008209266851175" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">a $133,800 payment</a> on July 28. Miller joined the campaign in June, and Stepien was promoted July 15. The campaign reports that the disbursements were for “video production services.”When asked if the missing receipts for Stepien and Miller seemed unusual, Brendan Fischer, director of the Federal Reform Program at the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), told Salon, “It doesn’t surprise me at all. The Trump campaign has disguised millions of dollars in payments to personnel and vendors by routing the money through LLCs created or managed by senior Trump campaign officials.”The CLC recently filed an FEC complaint alleging that the Trump campaign has unlawfully <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/07/28/this-scheme-is-illegal-trump-campaign-masked-170-million-in-payments-watchdog-alleges/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">hidden at least $170 million in payments through shell companies</a>, thereby keeping its spending a secret form the public, law enforcement and its own donors. Some of those hidden payments have allegedly gone towards salaries — such as <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/04/24/eric-trumps-wife-and-don-jrs-girlfriend-are-on-brad-parscales-payroll--at-15k-a-month/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">to Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump</a> — and were made through an entity controlled by Parscale.<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-secret-payments-sons-wife-girlfriend_n_5e9a1c46c5b635d25d6c747a" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Reporting</a> sourced this spring from White House advisers suggests that Parscale paid Guilfoyle and Lara Trump $180,000 a year, the rough equivalent of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-staffers-make-in-white-house-2019-8" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">a top White House salary</a>, but those sums have not been verified. Miller’s recent court filings suggest that his campaign salary might more than double that, and Stepien’s salary is unknown.A great many of Trump’s donors contribute <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/05/trump-dominates-small-dollar-fundraising/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">in small dollar amounts</a>.A Trump campaign spokesperson, Jamestown Associates and Teneo did not respond to Salon’s questions. COAR and A.J. Delgado did not immediately respond to request for comment.</div>
<div>=</div><div>
</div><div><div>=</div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/trump-says-he-didnt-approve-of-border-wall-project-but-these-key-players-bragged-of-his-approval">https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/trump-says-he-didnt-approve-of-border-wall-project-but-these-key-players-bragged-of-his-approval</a></div><div>
</div><div>After Steve Bannon’s arrest on Thursday, Donald Trump <a title="" href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/8/20/1970900/-Trump-blames-showboaters-for-border-wall-fraud-and-other-indicators-he-s-in-deep-trouble" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">tried to put a Grand Canyon-sized gap</a> between himself and the “We Build The Wall” border scheme. Bannon, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea were indicted on counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The <a title="" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1306611/download" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">federal indictment</a> says the crew pilfered “hundreds of thousands of dollars” and a Bannon-controlled nonprofit received more than $1 million in funds.The federal government is seeking to take possession of the fraudulently purchased items, like the flashy boat Kolfage purchased and used in recent “Trumptilla” boat parades. Incredibly enough, Bannon and Kolfage recorded a video promoting their scam fund and folks, you are not going to believe this—Bannon actually jokes they are filming in Saint-Tropez in southern France before adding: “We are on the million dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage. Brian Kolfage, he took all that money from Build The Wall.” Kolfage then lets out an awkward laugh. Watch them joke about the fraud below. You cannot make this up.[twt mma] after you collect yourself, watch the video below this because it just keeps getting better. First up, let’s revisit Trump’s statement trying to put daylight between himself and the We Build The Wall project. He repeatedly says he “didn’t like it” and thought it was “showboating and maybe looking for funds.” In a stumbling response, he repeatedly said he never approved of the project and Bannon aside, that he didn’t know anyone involved. As you’ll see below, most of the folks involved in the project said otherwise.Let’s listen to former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has been described as a <a title="" href="https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/article165230507.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">“racist traveling con man”</a> because of his history of helping cities enact racist laws and then billing them to represent them in court cases they inevitably lose.[vid: t i feel bad about bannon charges]kobach is legal counsel for We Build The Wall, because of course he is, and he recorded an “interview” with Jennifer Lawrence, who is also listed on the We Build The Wall website as the <a title="" href="https://webuildthewall.us/ourteam/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">communications director</a> for the organization. Listen to Kobach describe his conversation with Donald Trump and brag that Trump said: “I want the media to know this project has my blessing.”It should be noted that just before Bannon’s arrest on Thursday morning by federal postal inspectors on a yacht off the coast of Connecticut, federal investigators were also serving a warrant on Lawrence and another associate, Dustin Stockton. The pair told CNN that <a title="" href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/we-build-the-wall-bannon-stockton-lawrence/index.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">“heavily armed federal agents” served the warrant and confiscated their cell phones. </a>No doubt, Kobach must be sweating. Going after lower-level employees is a sure sign they’re angling for bigger fish. And while Kobach bragged about Trump’s full-throated approval, he wasn’t alone. Lexi Churchill of ProPublica <a title="" href="https://twitter.com/LChurchilll/status/1296603926326906880" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">found other examples claiming Trump’s full endorsement.</a> Amanda Shea, wife of the recently indicted Timothy Shea, <a title="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pbpAFl1_I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">shared a photo of the crew with Donald Trump in August 2019</a>, with a caption saying: “A summer of winning came to a high note in the Hamptons. I had the absolute pleasure and honor of spending time with President Trump who had a lot of questions about the wall We The People built through We Build The Wall. He was impressed, but more importantly, incredibly personable and easy to talk to. I forgot that I was speaking with one of the most powerful men in the world.”Shea also touted the meeting on Twitter.Churchill also found an interview Kolfage did with The Gateway Pundit in which Kolfage bragged of Trump’s support, saying: <a title="" href="https://twitter.com/LChurchilll/status/1296603210916990976?s=20" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">“President Trump loves what we are doing.”</a>And wherever a right-wing grift exists, you know Junior isn’t far behind. Of course he promoted the wall and congratulated Kolfage on “[t]his is private enterprise at its finest. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else. What you guys are doing is amazing.”Trump’s Acting Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf, who a federal court ruled is illegally serving in the role, called the group’s work a <a title="" href="https://twitter.com/LChurchilll/status/1296603926326906880?s=20" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">“game changer” and said he “welcomed” their efforts.</a>So it would seem this is another in a long list of lies from Donald Trump. He welcomed this group’s efforts right up until <a title="" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/he-built-a-privately-funded-border-wall-its-already-at-risk-of-falling-down-if-not-fixed" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">ProPublica reported on the shoddy construction</a> of the privately built wall, which was in danger of falling over. Nevertheless, the contractor, Fisher Industries, was awarded a massive <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/he-built-a-privately-funded-border-wall-its-already-at-risk-of-falling-down-if-not-fixed" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">government contract to build Trump’s wall</a> and Trump reportedly <a title="" href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/5/24/1860140/-Trump-is-personally-and-repeatedly-intervening-to-get-border-wall-contract-awarded-to-crony" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">“personally and repeatedly” intervened to make sure Fisher was awarded the project.</a><div>
</div><div>=</div></div><div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/the-downfall-of-steve-bannon-looks-really-bad-for-bill-barr-and-donald-trump-jr" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/the-downfall-of-steve-bannon-looks-really-bad-for-bill-barr-and-donald-trump-jr</a></div><div style="font-size: small;"><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">no lnx twt </div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The downfall of Steve Bannon looks really bad for Bill Barr and Donald Trump Jr.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Written by Cody Fenwick August 21, 2020</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">With the arrest of Steve Bannon — the president’s former campaign chair and White House strategist — and a group of his allies on Thursday, the world received confirmation of what many have long said about the conservative movement: The right-wing, ethnonationalist, populist rhetoric is often little more than a scam to win support from the massive to fund the desires of elites.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">At least, that’s the narrative told in the indictment of Bannon and others leading “We Build the Wall, Inc.” — an organization that raised money from private donors, supposedly to build parts of President Donald Trump’s border wall. (Don’t ask about the fact that Mexico was supposed to pay for the wall.) According to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, despite, Bannon’s claim that the organization was run entirely by volunteers, he and his allies was cashing in.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">“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,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bannon, on the other hand, “through a non-profit organization under his control (‘Non-Profit-1’), received over $1 million from We Build the Wall, at least some of which [Bannon] used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in [Bannon’s] personal expenses,” SDNY said. Bannon is fighting the charges, pleading not guilty in court on Thursday.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bannon and Kolfage, along with Timothy Shea and Andrew Badolato, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But it’s not just the people named in the indictment who come off looking worse.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Attorney General Bill Barr’s already tarnished reputation took another substantial hit with the announcement because it reframed actions he took two months ago. In June, Barr sought to remove Geoffrey Berman, who has been the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. But he did so in a clumsy and corrupt fashion. He met with Berman privately and tried to pressure him out of a job. When Berman refused, Barr simply announced that Berman would be stepping down, to be replaced immediately by another prosecutor from outside the office while a permanent successor could be confirmed.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Berman quickly refuted Barr’s claim, publicly stating that he did not intend to leave. This started a brief struggle until Barr caved somewhat on his demands. He still had Berman removed, but he permitted Strauss, Berman’s deputy, to take his role. She is now serving in an acting capacity, and she oversaw the indictment filed against Bannon and the others.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The episode created a sharp backlash, because there seemed to be no above-board explanation for Barr’s actions. Barr might have had legitimate reasons to replace Berman with another appointee, but there was no clear reason why Berman should leave before that person was appointed. And Barr might have had reason to fire Berman, but there’s no clear reason why Strauss wouldn’t take over in his stead — which is how succession in these offices typically functions. And there was no good reason at all why Barr should lie about Berman voluntarily stepping down — it was just an aggressive power play.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">These facts all pointed to a clear conclusion: Barr had a corrupt reason for wanting to oust Berman and replace him with a hand-picked successor. In a public statement and in testimony to Congress, Berman made clear what a plausible motive would be: Replacing him with anybody but Strauss would likely impede the office’s ongoing investigations.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We now know that the case again Bannon and “We Build the Wall, Inc.” was among the cases that likely would have been slowed down. Barr has admitted he knew about the case months ago. And it’s quite clear why Barr, an unabashed partisan, would want to slow it down. Indicting yet another of the president’s allies — and his second campaign manager — surely reflects badly on Trump. It’s especially bad because the allegations involve fleecing Trump’s supporters for venal reasons, which may hit close to home for those feeling let down by his presidency heading into the November election.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It’s possible there were other investigations Barr was looking to stop as well. And it’s possible, of course, that he wasn’t trying to delay this investigation at all. But that’s precisely why Barr’s hamfisted control of the Justice Department, and his complete lack of interest in even acting like a straight shooter, is so destructive for him and the country as a whole. It makes it impossible for Americans to be confident that he’s performing his job in good faith, rather than trying to protect the president’s friends and go after his enemies.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Donald Trump Jr., too, comes off looking a lot worse out of Bannon’s scandal, because he openly endorsed the project. In a quote featured on the organization’s website, he said:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This is private enterprise at its finest. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else and what you guys are doing is pretty amazing. It started from a grassroots effort and it’s doing some wonderful things for an important issue.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After the indictment became public on Thursday, the Trump Organization put out a statement to the New York Times trying to distance himself from the project:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Don gave one speech at a single We Build the Wall event over a year ago with a group of angel moms and, besides that, has no involvement with their organization. He never gave them permission to use him as a testimonial on their website and was unaware they included him as one until today’s media reports about it. His previous praise of the group was based on what he was led to believe about their supposed intention to help build the wall on our southern border and if he and others were deceived, the group deserves to be held accountable for their actions.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The statement appears to admit that when Trump Jr. said the group was “private enterprise at its finest” that does work “better, faster, cheaper” than others and is “amazing,” he had no idea what he was talking about.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But the HuffPost reported that the ties between Trump Jr. and We Build the Wall, Inc. may be more significant than the statement suggested:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As part of a fundraising promotion, We Build the Wall offered free, autographed copies of Trump Jr.’s book, “Triggered,” to people donating at least $75. And Instagram posts from Kolfage and We Build the Wall suggest Trump Jr. directly interacted with the group again in November.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“[We Build the Wall representative] FOREMAN MIKE will be in Florida TOMORROW with Donald Trump Jr. at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort!” the organization announced in a post on Nov. 7. The next day, Kolfage posted a photo of himself with a small group of people including Trump Jr. and “Foreman Mike.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">There’s some evidence, too, that the president was backing the project before its downfall, but its thinner.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In a Jan. 25, 2019 New York Times article on Kris Kobach that discussed the project, reporter Stephanie Saul wrote:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">President Trump gave the undertaking his “blessing” in a telephone conversation Wednesday night, according to Mr. Kobach.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The White House press office did not respond to requests for comment.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Trump avoided going on the record, which now looks wise.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After the indictment came out, Trump’s defenders pointed to a recent tweet of his distancing himself from the project:</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[twt: " i disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps it now doesn’t even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jeremy Schwartz</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">@JinATX</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">UPDATE: Experts to inspect a controversial privately built border wall following a federal court hearing this am. Govt attorney identified 4 areas of problematic erosion along the base of 4080]</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">However, this tweet emerged after Barr was aware of the investigation into the Bannon, so Trump was likely aware of it, too. And the president’s fans had already donated millions to the project, some of whom were likely encouraged by the fact that the Trump’s own son had endorsed it.</div></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://webbrain.com/brainpage/brain/=https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/feds-charge-ex-trump-official-steve-bannon-with-criminal-fraud-in-crowd-funded-border-wall-campaign/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">
</a></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://webbrain.com/brainpage/brain/=https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/feds-charge-ex-trump-official-steve-bannon-with-criminal-fraud-in-crowd-funded-border-wall-campaign/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/feds-charge-ex-trump-official-steve-bannon-with-criminal-fraud-in-crowd-funded-border-wall-campaign/</a></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">former Trump White House political strategist Steve Bannon has been charged with criminal fraud for his role in a crowd-funded campaign to build President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/leaders-we-build-wall-online-fundraising-campaign-charged-defrauding-hundreds-thousands" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced</a> on Thursday that Bannon and several other leaders of the ‘We Build The Wall’ online fundraising campaign have been indicted for defrauding “hundreds of thousands” of donors.“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,” said acting SDNY U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. “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.”As for Bannon’s role in the scheme, SDNY alleges that funneled “over $1 million from We Build the Wall” into a nonprofit organization that he personally controlled. According to SDNY, Bannon then used at least some of that money “to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars” in his own personal expenses.in total, Bannon has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.<div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/senate-panel-referred-trump-family-members-to-doj-over-suspicions-of-misleading-russia-testimony-report/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/senate-panel-referred-trump-family-members-to-doj-over-suspicions-of-misleading-russia-testimony-report/</a>wapoBipartisan leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee last year notified the Department of Justice that members of President Donald Trump’s family and close circle “might have presented misleading testimony” to the panel during its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the Washington Post reports.According to the Post, then-Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) referred a list of individuals, including Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner to federal prosecutors after their accounts of a pre-election meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya “were contradicted by the president’s former deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates” during former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.In a separate section, the congressional panel said it had reason to believe Steve Bannon, Erik Prince and former campaign co-chair Sam Clovis “had lied to congressional investigators — a potential felony,” the Post reports.According to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported on the referrals and viewed a copy of the panel’s letter, the committee believes Bannon may have lied about his knowledge of a meeting Prince held in the Seychelles with a Russian official tied to the Kremlin. Per the Post, “Prince had told Mueller’s team that he briefed Bannon on the meeting, which occurred before Trump’s inauguration in early 2017; Bannon denied the conversation took place.”</div></div><div>
<div>ref below</div><div>https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/12/20/guy-behind-gofundme-account-trump-s-border-wall-used-facebook-page-network-connected-fake-news-sites/222374</div><div>
</div><div>Brian Kolfage, the man behind a campaign to crowdsource donations for a wall at the U.S. southern border, has been using a network of Facebook pages tied to fake news sites to boost his funding efforts.</div>On December 17, Kolfage launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $5 billion to fund President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The campaign has so far raised $7 million and has been promoted by right-wing media and figures. Before the campaign took off, Kolfage appears to have amplified it on Facebook using a network of pages connected to the fake news sites Conservative Post and, as of late, Right Wing News.Kolfage has been involved in Facebook networks linking to fake news sites before. In October, the social media company banned <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/31/how-facebook-right-wing-propaganda-machine-works/221151" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">a network of other Facebook pages</a> connected to his fake news site Right Wing News for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/16/facebook-political-activism-pages-inauthentic-behavior-censorship" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">“coordinated inauthentic behavior.”</a>Since then, Kolfage appears to have coordinated with two <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/1288173394636262" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">blue badge-verified</a> Facebook pages -- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heyconservativepost/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Conservative Post </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheAmericanJoe/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">American Joe</a> -- and is using them in place of the removed pages to promote Right Wing News and now to promote his wall fundraising campaign.About four days after <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/technology/fake-news-online-disinformation.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Facebook removed</a> the network of pages that funneled traffic to Right Wing News, the Conservative Post Facebook page (which has over 1.6 million page likes) began sporadically sharing links to Right Wing News’ website, at the time found at rwnofficial.com. Before that, Conservative Post almost exclusively shared links to conservativepost.com.Toward the end of November, Conservative Post and American Joe (which has over 916,000 page likes) began frequently linking to the domain rightwing.news, a website also titled Right Wing News, which shares a Google Analytics code with Kolfage’s website rwnofficial.com. (Website administrators use Google Analytics codes to track analyzable data and metrics for their sites; sites that share this code are associated with the same web administrator.)Since then, rightwing.news has become the domain most frequently linked to by Facebook pages American Joe and Conservative Post. Since American Joe began posting links to rightwing.news, Kolfage has used his official Facebook page to promote American Joe as well. He <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Screen_Shot_2018-12-20_at_2.38.39_PM.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">has shared</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Screen_Shot_2018-12-20_at_2.38.57_PM.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">posts</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Screen_Shot_2018-12-20_at_2.39.10_PM.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">from American Joe</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Screen_Shot_2018-12-20_at_2.39.31_PM.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">multiple times</a>, including in <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Kolfage_America_Joe(fixed).png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">one post from December 19</a>, in which Kolfage asked his followers to like American Joe’s page.[twit]Thus, even though Facebook removed his old pages, Kolfage has been able to re-create the amplification network with Conservative Post’s pages. On December 17 (the day Kolfage launched his campaign on GoFundMe) and December 18, <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/facebook_post_1'.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Kolfage’s</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/kolfage_fb.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Facebook page</a> and <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/tweet_1.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Twitter</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/tweet_2.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">handle</a>, <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/acp_fb_1.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Conservative Post</a>, and <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/aj_fb_1.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">American</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/aj_fb_2.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Joe</a> <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/3aj_fb_2.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">all</a> shared links to a petition that redirected users to Kolfage’s GoFundMe campaign. The petition used <a href="https://americanjoe.clickfunnels.com/optin-25256284?fbclid=IwAR01FEa9oQyBm9Oq5tJQ_0IvghN_96sJml_Z7_guth4VhXDMThbkKttarGE" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">ClickFunnels</a>, a <a href="https://goto.clickfunnels.com/clickfunnels-features" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">marketing tool</a> used to promote products, events, and build contact lists, and the link (under the url americanjoe.clickfunnels.com) earned <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/ClickFunnel_Interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">over 63,000 interactions on Facebook.</a>The following day, right-wing media figures and far-right trolls including <a href="https://www.facebook.com/myiannopoulos/posts/1331070873697471" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Milo Yiannopoulos</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/raheemkassam/posts/974964096046258" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Raheem Kassam</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/gatewaypundit/status/1075515712632995841" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Jim Hoft</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanAFournier/status/1075535888908763136" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Ryan Fournier</a> picked up Kolfage’s campaign and began promoting the GoFundMe link, which has thus far earned <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/go_fund_me_wall.png" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">over 1.3 million interactions</a> on Facebook. And right-wing news outlets <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/fox_news_interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Fox News</a> and <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Daily_Mail_interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Daily Mail</a> have earned tens to hundreds of thousands of Facebook interactions by posting content about the campaign -- as have far-right clickbait sites <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/chicks_on_the_right_interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Chicks on the Right</a>, <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/update_america_interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Update America</a>, and Kolfage’s <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2018/12/20/Right_wing_news_interactions.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">Right Wing News</a>. These statistics demonstrate that amplification networks of Facebook pages <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/31/how-facebook-right-wing-propaganda-machine-works/221151" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">continue to be</a> a staple in helping make right-wing content go viral.<div>=</div><div>
</div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As of Thursday evening, an internet fundraiser for the president’s border wall received more than $7 million from over 131,000 donors. The man behind the fundraiser, Brian Kolfage, has been using Facebook pages tied to fake news sites to amplify the campaign.Kolfage has previously been connected to a network of Facebook pages linking to fake news websites. Facebook determined that Kolfage, among others, “coordinated inauthentic behavior” on the social media service and banned the network of pages.More recently, Kolfage seems to have coordinated with several verified right-wing Facebook pages, Conservative Post and American Joe, to promote his misinforming website and fundraiser.Media Matters’ Natalie Martinez <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4TgXNMHqhP3nhGCkz3yjz1_9YDHzfNJUFZIKQyzwOKtjMxi55xSo2GWR2UGRkJB_gkebSObeZnwlOKSJDxSG9txRyD9DeZxrPFmBIXYEDpQfM8HkIeKffPK95EQi-eJXRLsZR4UxiqAs3hWVIXIgSRiQzH9nkAGLpyM25HJr8-tbQ&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=15&v=1499" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">perfectly exhibited</a> how Facebook’s inability to curb right-wing networks allows fake news sites to thrive: “Right-wing media figures and far-right trolls including Milo Yiannopoulos, Raheem Kassam, Jim Hoft and Ryan Fournier picked up Kolfage’s campaign and began promoting the GoFundMe link, which has thus far earned over 1.3 million interactions on Facebook. And right-wing news outlets Fox News and Daily Mail have earned tens to hundreds of thousands of Facebook interactions by posting content about the campaign -- as have far-right clickbait sites Chicks on the Right, Update America, and Kolfage’s Right Wing News. These statistics demonstrate that amplification networks of Facebook pages <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=3YhLhUxTGfXV40jjcf0E7zQgA_lKgFY2qUmWqav0z4QKR98cr7qMxOKnSDNgeYikytT9sEEe2SzMCT-v0Ldqz8vv5NCA7InucBCsoGDEEdN8mXRg8_9VC1vkNlzfNoFWIpPOHo2Wp2qWpHxbiXCFWQ&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1223weekly&n=16&v=1499" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">continue to be</a> a staple in helping make right-wing content go viral.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">==</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>