[Steve Bannon, the man credited with crafting Donald Trump’s populist message in 2016, was seen yesterday aboard the $28 million yacht of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui. Today, off the coast of Connecticut, the high-profile former Trump advisor was arrested on the same yacht for fraud.]
I know things seem pretty bleak right now, but there is still beauty in this world. This morning, Trump adviser Steve Bannon and three associates were arrested and charged with fraud for bilking millions of dollars out of gullible racists who wanted to contribute toward Trump’s ridiculous, ineffective, and largely imaginary border wall. According to reporting, Bannon and his associates, through the non-profit We Build the Wall, took in over $25 million in donations, telling donors that “100% of the funds raised (would be used) in the execution of our mission.” Well, that’s apparently not what happened. It would appear that Bannon and his coconspirators — Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea — took hundreds of thousands of dollars for themselves. Kolfage, according to the charges, spent over $350,000 of the donated funds on personal expenses, which included a boat, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery.
When asked about the fraudulent non-profit today, Donald Trump said, “Don’t know anything about the project,” and “I don’t like that project.” Here, however, is Kris Kobach, the former Secretary of State of Kansas who ran Trump’s fake voter fraud commission, explaining last year how We Build the Wall had the blessing of Donald Trump. [The We Build the Wall advisory board, in addition to Kobach and Bannon, included other prominent right wing grifters like Blackwater founder Erik Prince and Sheriff David Clarke.
Whiskey Steve is just the start @KrisKobach1787 pic.twitter.com/UjgljWNseM
— Patribotics (@patribotics) August 20, 2020
I know that, by this point, most Trump supporters have too much invested to just walk away, but I do wonder how difficult it is for them to reconcile the idea of their populist hero Steve Bannon on the mega yacht of a Chinese billionaire, arrested for hooking his buddy up with plastic surgery money that was supposed to have bee spent protecting the American people from caravans of Mexican rapists that never materialized. I cannot begin to imagine the mental contortion that one would have to do in order to escape the obvious conclusion, which is that a White House full of grifters sought to manipulate the unfounded fears of American racists to enrich themselves with the blessing, support and aid of Donald Trump.
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https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/he-wasnt-born-here-trump-announces-joe-biden-birther-theory-at-rally-in-scranton-pennsylvania/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Hm
Well, I think we can all agree we support them getting plastic surgery. You’re always such a glass-half-full sort of person, Mark.
I wanted to say you are a glass-half-empty sort of person, but then I realized calling you that would make me a glass-half-empty sort of person.
It’s a shame seeing top Trumpanzees conning the mass of dumber ones. I guess that’s just nature taking it’s course though. It must be irresistible for any con-man when they see what suckers they all are.
EOS You have been waiting for this. I assume you ate signing up, let us know how it goes, hope they dont give you the placebo.
https://www.covidvaccinestudy.com/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=dig&utm_campaign=dy1&mpt=fbdy1&fbclid=IwAR1_xcCvSixFCt9YvZbjZkBf_p2_rxZbn8ayj2A2yWxO-2mrEo0mmzYqWM0
Where they arrested Bannon is interesting. Being snagged on a Chinese outlaw oligarch’s 145 foot ocean going hideout is exciting.
“The Bennon-Guo media venture is also in trouble:
A media company linked to former Trump political adviser Steve Bannon and exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui raised more than $300 million in a private offering this spring that is now being investigated by federal and state authorities, say people familiar with the matter.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. have frozen accounts tied to fundraising for the company, GTV Media Group, some of these people said. Bank of America Corp. also closed an account for GTV Media’s parent company shortly after it was opened in recent months, another person with knowledge of the situation said.
…
Soon after the fundraising, some investors began pushing for refunds after they said they never received official documentation verifying their investments in GTV Media, among other issues that led them to distrust Mr. Guo.
Mr. Guo, a former property tycoon who is now one of China’s most-wanted fugitives, and Mr. Bannon were two of the key people behind GTV Media’s launch this spring, according to a company fundraising document and interviews. The document identifies Mr. Bannon as a company director, while Mr. Guo served as the public face for its fundraising. Associates of Mr. Guo are listed as GTV Media executives, while Mr. Guo is described as a company adviser.
The FBI is on the case:
The FBI had been examining Mr. Guo’s work with Mr. Bannon even before the private placement this spring. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported last month that FBI agents had been investigating Mr. Guo and the money he used to fund his media efforts in the U.S. for more than six months and that prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn had been involved in the probe.
…
Earlier this month, Mr. Guo said in an online video that he had been subpoenaed and that he welcomed authorities’ probes. A lawyer for Mr. Guo didn’t provide comment on what information the subpoenas were seeking and whether Mr. Guo had complied with them.
A 2017 Vice News clip has some background about Guo, his lies and his luxurious lifestyle in New York.
Together with Bannon Guo ran a strong anti-China campaign. How that was or is related to Trump’s anti-China campaign is not yet known.“
I believe that if they convict Bannon that would be three felony convictions of principles involved in Trumps 2016 campaign. The number three is important. 3 felons is sufficient to use RICO statues against an ongoing criminal enterprise.
This will explain Trumps increasingly desperate measures to stay in office.
HW more of those secret indictments being used.
I can hear the chants already, Lock em up, lock them all up.
It has to make a prosecutor ask questions. Was Trump and Barrs firing of Berman last June an attempt to stop these investigations? That would be criminal obstruction. Professional Federal prosecutors, I suspect take a very dim view of political appointees undermining the rule of law.
Qanon kinda missed this one HW—the Chinese authorities want this plutocrat on child rape charges among other rather heinous acts.
One thing we do know about Trump, he is transactional kinda of guy—money talks
https://web.archive.org/web/20171026235647/https://www.metro.us/president-trump/trump-changes-mind-guo-wengui-mar-a-lago
That’s $25 million Trumpanzee dollars going into the pockets of Bannon and his co-conspirators that could have gone into the Trump re-election campaign.
Wobblie,
What would make you think I would take a fast tracked vaccine that hasn’t undergone full safety and efficacy studies? And one that Bill Gates wants to put tracker chips in?
How can you be sure that you haven’t already had tracker chips placed through another medical procedure? When was the last time you had a blood test? Did you notice that the device they used has been a lot bulkier than before?
Mark is already tracking you through cookies and IP addresses.