Leader of campaign to fund Trump’s border wall to plead guilty -Breaking
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© Reuters. FILEPHOTO: United States Air Force Senior Airman Brian Kolfage Jr. attends the Veterans Day parade at 5th Avenue in New York. Kolfage Jr. was a triple amputee that lost his legs and one arm during his second deployment to Iraq in 2004.Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – A decorated U.S. Air Force Veteran was accused of defrauding donors during a fundraising campaign for former President Donald Trump’s wall at the U.S.-Mexico frontier. He has pleaded guilty to three tax and wire fraud conspiracy charges.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a document with the U.S. District Court at Manhattan revealing their agreement with Brian Kolfage who was the leader of the “We Build the Wall” campaign.
Kolfage is scheduled to formalize his plea in front of U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres, April 21. He did not respond immediately to our requests for comment.
Kolfage had been charged by the government in August 2020 as a former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, and two additional defendants regarding We Build the Wall.
Kolfage (of Miramar Beach), Florida started the private campaign after suffering severe injuries to his legs in an attack on Iraqi rockets. After his return from Iraq, he became deeply involved in conservative politics.
Kolfage, according to prosecution, told potential donors that he wouldn’t take any penny because he had raised over $25 million. However, Kolfage spent more than $350,000 on his boat, luxury SUVs, jewelry, and cosmetic surgeries.
Maximum 20 year prison sentence for wire fraud conspiracy. Originally filed in Florida by tax authorities, these tax charges involve wire fraud and false filings of tax returns.
According to Wednesday’s email, Kolfage did not plead guilty to a separate charge of money laundering conspiracy.
Torres dismissed Bannon’s indictment last May after Bannon was pardoned by President Trump in his final hours as president.
Andrew Badolato (co-defendant of Kolfage) is also likely to enter a guilty plea, court records indicate.
Timothy Shea (the final defendant) had in principle agreed to also plead guilty, but changed his mind after the trial, prosecutor’s said last week.
His lawyer John Meringolo stated in an email Wednesday that Mr. Shea was exercising his constitutional rights to fair trials.
U.S. v Kolfage et al. U.S. District Court Southern District of New York No. U.S. against Kolfage, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. 22-cr-00201.
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