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Federal prosecutors charge Bannon in the We Build the Wall donor-fraud case

Date
2020-08-20
Entry type
fundraising-fraud-charge
Current status
Federal case terminated by Trump pardon; related New York case later ended in Bannon's guilty plea

The indictment alleged organizers diverted donor money after promising every dollar would fund construction; Trump's pardon ended Bannon's federal case before trial.

Entities and roles

Relationships in this file

  1. Donald J. Trumpcampaign chief and former White House strategistSteve Bannon
  2. Steve Bannonadvisory-board chairmanWe Build the Wall

Money trail

  1. paymentWe Build the Wall reported fundraisingMore than $25 million
    Reported source
    We Build the Wall donors
    Reported recipient
    We Build the Wall campaign
    Financially affected
    Donors who contributed based on the campaign's representations
    reported · 2020-08-20 · observedPopulation Gross donations that the federal indictment alleged We Build the Wall raised through its online campaignPeriod 2018-12-17 to 2020-08-20Basis Use the fundraising floor stated in the federal charging announcement; do not treat total campaign receipts as Bannon's income.Limits The amount was alleged in a charging record and is a gross fundraising floor, not an audited net total or an adjudicated personal benefit to Bannon.Open cited evidence

Claims and evidence

  1. factcharged

    Federal prosecutors charged Bannon and three others with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The indictment alleged the campaign raised more than $25 million through representations that organizers would take no compensation, while Bannon used a nonprofit to route over $1 million and personal expenses. These were allegations against Bannon at this stage; Trump's 2021 pardon prevented a federal merits verdict.