Trump’s guru held over $1m wall fraud charges
Bannon accused of ripping off donors
DONALD Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has been charged with fraud over a crowdfunding campaign to build a US-Mexico border wall.
The man credited with putting Trump into the White House is accused of defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors who contributed.
Bannon, along with Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, allegedly took money from the campaign known as We Build the Wall. It raised more than $25million (£19million).
Bannon, who joined the Trump administration before being forced out, is accused of pocketing $1million in the alleged scheme.
The group promised donors it was a volunteer effort that would direct all funds towards an attempt to put up the wall without government red tape.
Federal prosecutors in New York allege instead the founders siphoned off funds for themselves.
Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalising on their interest in funding a wall, to raise millions of dollars under the false pretence all would be spent on construction,”
The accused men are facing charges including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
In January 2018, Bannon was disavowed by Trump for critical comments reported in the book Fire and Fury. He is also alleged to have leaked stories to the press and clashed with senior White House officials.
Bannon, due to appear in court last night, is the latest member of Trump’s circle to face criminal charges despite boasts he would “drain the Washington swamp”.
Former campaign manager Paul Manafort is serving more than seven years in prison for bank and tax fraud. Trump commuted the 40-month sentence of ex-adviser Roger Stone in July, days before he was due to begin serving time.