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(Thread) More GOP lawbreaking
Steve Bannon (former Trump advisor), Brian Kolfage, and two others were indicted for a simple fraud scheme: They lied to get money from Trump supporters to “Build the Wall”
The indictment is here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-indictment/index.html
Steve Bannon (former Trump advisor), Brian Kolfage, and two others were indicted for a simple fraud scheme: They lied to get money from Trump supporters to “Build the Wall”
The indictment is here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-indictment/index.html
1/ Yup, the wall Mexico was supposed to pay for. The wall that's supposed to protect us from those scary invaders at the border (sarcasm).
They told donors that Kolfage would “not take a penny in salary or compensation.”
They told donors that Kolfage would “not take a penny in salary or compensation.”
2/ In fact, Kolfage took 350K for personal use, including 20K monthly salary. He used it for things like a golf cart, jewelry, and payments toward a boat (cue boater jokes).
Steve Bannon pocketed a cool $1,000,000 (did I get all those zeroes in there?)
Steve Bannon pocketed a cool $1,000,000 (did I get all those zeroes in there?)
3/ Being fraudsters, they took steps to hide what they were doing. Kolfage took 20K per month salary, which he concealed by passing the funds indirectly through non-profit shell companies with sham invoices.
4/ In Oct. 2019, the defendants learned from a financial institution that they might be under criminal investigation, so they took additional steps to conceal the scheme, using messaging applications on their phones and removing false promises from their website.
5/ What makes this indictment so damning is that many of the people they are cheating are ordinary workers who really couldn’t afford to give money.
But they were true believers. They were easy marks.
You can't spin that as political. They scared people, then cheated them.
But they were true believers. They were easy marks.
You can't spin that as political. They scared people, then cheated them.
6/ Like Kamala Harris, I know a predator when I see one.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-i-know-a-predator-when-i-see-one
And of course, the Trumps cheering on the scheme.
You know the family that recently paid $2 million after stealing charity money. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/donald-j-trump-pays-court-ordered-2-million-illegally-using-trump-foundation
https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-i-know-a-predator-when-i-see-one
And of course, the Trumps cheering on the scheme.
You know the family that recently paid $2 million after stealing charity money. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/donald-j-trump-pays-court-ordered-2-million-illegally-using-trump-foundation
8/ The President himself evidently also gave his blessing. https://twitter.com/GeoffRBennett/status/1296454156560015360
I suspect Kris Kobach will soon find himself in a bit of trouble as well.
I suspect Kris Kobach will soon find himself in a bit of trouble as well.
9/ Ted Lieu nails it. https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1296489040590655488
Following a tip from @DWUhlfelderLaw I went to checkout @BrianKolfage's
Twitter page, before it disappears now that he's been arrested.
He calls himself an "architect of the wall."
Following a tip from @DWUhlfelderLaw I went to checkout @BrianKolfage's
Twitter page, before it disappears now that he's been arrested.
He calls himself an "architect of the wall."
10/ There is much of interest on his Twitter page, but check out what this fraudster has been telling people about the virus
He's promoting "herd immunity" and accusing the Democrats of perpetuating fraud by telling people to wear masks.
He's promoting "herd immunity" and accusing the Democrats of perpetuating fraud by telling people to wear masks.
11/ Dear Trump supporters: Herd immunity means lots of people die.
As long as Trump and his friends get rich, they don’t care if you die.
They’ll take your money and let you die. They rile you and scare you, then manipulate your fears to cheat you.
As long as Trump and his friends get rich, they don’t care if you die.
They’ll take your money and let you die. They rile you and scare you, then manipulate your fears to cheat you.
Someone just told me that Tweet #7 is hidden. Here it is.
Next, I want to write about how this all ties into the concept of MAGA and the long term goals of the GOP— but I'll start a new thread a bit later.
Next, I want to write about how this all ties into the concept of MAGA and the long term goals of the GOP— but I'll start a new thread a bit later.
It's precisely the small potatoes aspect of it that so interests me.
They're destroying the planet for profit. They're destroying Democracy. All of that can be couched in political language.
But here they're picking the pockets of their own supporters. https://twitter.com/rmasand/status/1296517271053955072
They're destroying the planet for profit. They're destroying Democracy. All of that can be couched in political language.
But here they're picking the pockets of their own supporters. https://twitter.com/rmasand/status/1296517271053955072
Yes. The analogy would be like finding out my donation to @fairfightaction went to buy Abrams a boat (which she'd never do).
The sad part is the donors will probably never know because they're in a propaganda loop—which enabled fraud in the first place. https://twitter.com/lumiere2016/status/1296513710656126976
The sad part is the donors will probably never know because they're in a propaganda loop—which enabled fraud in the first place. https://twitter.com/lumiere2016/status/1296513710656126976
They cheat as naturally as we breathe—because they think it's okay. They break the laws they don't believe should exist.
Will be writing more about that later. https://twitter.com/nancymcneal/status/1296524932604661762
Will be writing more about that later. https://twitter.com/nancymcneal/status/1296524932604661762
