Last year on Mother's Day, I got a tip that @BrianKolfage and WeBuildTheWall were potentially defrauding donors and wrote this story.
He contacted Snopes after I wrote it, they contacted the Florida AG who contacted our state's charity regulators. https://thesternfacts.com/source-build-the-wall-gofundme-just-paid-for-a-nearly-1-million-yacht-not-a-wall-72958836bd0c
He contacted Snopes after I wrote it, they contacted the Florida AG who contacted our state's charity regulators. https://thesternfacts.com/source-build-the-wall-gofundme-just-paid-for-a-nearly-1-million-yacht-not-a-wall-72958836bd0c
That's what led Florida's Dept. of Consumer Affairs to open a civil investigation into WeBuildTheWall.
I got all of those emails using the public records law. https://www.rawstory.com/2019/06/florida-officials-open-fraud-investigation-of-border-wall-fundraising-effort/
I got all of those emails using the public records law. https://www.rawstory.com/2019/06/florida-officials-open-fraud-investigation-of-border-wall-fundraising-effort/
A year ago, I broke the story that my reporting had caused a criminal investigation into WeBuildTheWall.
Today, Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage, and their associates have been arrested for money laundering and fraud charges. https://www.rawstory.com/2019/08/private-border-wall-effort-now-under-criminal-investigation/
Today, Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage, and their associates have been arrested for money laundering and fraud charges. https://www.rawstory.com/2019/08/private-border-wall-effort-now-under-criminal-investigation/
Bannon and Kolfage's money laundering scheme is now a criminal case with SDNY https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-build-the-wall-indictment/index.html
Here's the indictment. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/leaders-we-build-wall-online-fundraising-campaign-charged-defrauding-hundreds-thousands
In conclusion: Yes. https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/05/15/wall-gofundme-founder/
cc @Lawrence