What was Steve Bannon’s $25M Border Wall Campaign? Former Trump advisor charged in connection to crowdfunding fraud

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House advisor, was charged in court on September 8 for defrauding donors in the $25 million Border Wall Campaign. Bannon was accused of misappropriating funds intended for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

According to the indictment disclosed on Thursday, Steve Bannon was charged with money laundering in the second degree and conspiracy in the fourth degree. Bannon pled not guilty to the charges leveled by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

"Stephen Bannon acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country - including hundreds of Manhattan residents."

In the indictment, prosecutors accused Bannon, Brian Kolfage, and two other men of conspiring to defraud contributors in an alleged fundraising scheme named "We Build the Wall," a crowdfunding initiative set up in December 2018.

The crowdfunding effort raised over $25 million to construct a wall between the United States and Mexico to stop illegal immigration. However, prosecutors found that more than $1 million was used to fund Bannon's and his co-conspirator's lifestyles.

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Explained: Steve Bannon's role in the $25M Border Wall Campaign

Steve Bannon, the major force behind right-wing Breitbart News, became Trump's trusted ally during Trump's 2016 presidential bid. Trump's entire campaign hinged on his promise to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States. Bannon soon found himself to be Trump's most trusted advisor as they shared similar ideologies. Soon after, when Trump was elected into the White House, he appointed Bannon as his chief strategist. After Congress refused to fund Trump's border wall promise, Bannon left his post in August 2017 and soon after began spearheading Trump’s 2016 campaign promise.

In December 2018, Brian Kolfage set up a GoFundMe page, where donors were assured that all the money would go towards building 300 miles of wall on the US-Mexico border. In the subsequent week, the campaign received $17 million in donations. Following widespread media attention to the scheme, Brian Kolfage brought Bannon into the fold. By August 2020, the crowdfunding campaign, which was later renamed "We The People BUILT the Wall," had collected $25.6 million from over 200,000 donors. But according to US media reports, a mere three miles of fencing were constructed in the area. Bannon reportedly pocketed $1 million.

In August 2020, federal charges were leveled against Bannon in a conspiracy to commit money laundering along with three other alleged co-conspirators. Two of his associates, including Brian Kolfage, pled guilty to the charges. However, Bannon was officially cleared of the charges in 2021, when Trump, during the last days of his presidency, issued a pardon. However, the pardon only applies to federal prosecutions but does not forbid state intervention.

Soon after Bannon’s motion to dismiss the case against him, state prosecutors in New York reportedly began their criminal investigation into his involvement in the We Build The Wall scheme.

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Steve Bannon denies all changes, pleads not guilty

Steve Bannon has been mired in controversy since his exit from the White House. The latest charges come months after Bannon was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to co-operate in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

According to Reuters, Bannon denied defrauding donors outside the court on Thursday, September 8, 2022. He said the charges were politically motivated and were aimed at destroying his credibility before the November elections.

"Nothing more than a partisan political weaponisation of the criminal justice system".

He further added,

"I've got news for them, we are going to win a sweeping landslide at every level, from school boards to election officials... We are not going to back down and they will not be able to shut me up."

If convicted, Bannon could face up to 15 years in prison.