Steve Bannon, President Trump's former political adviser, has been indicted alongside three other people in connection with an online fundraising scheme that federal prosecutors in New York said was responsible for defrauding hundreds of thousands of people.
Bannon, Andrew Badolato, Timothy Shea and Brian Kolfage are alleged to have orchestrated a scheme around an online crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall," which raised over $25 million. The campaign was advertised as an effort to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.
"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 Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
"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," Strauss continued.
They have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
This is a developing story. This post will be updated.
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