Bannon, 66, was among four people arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors accused the defendants of defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors through a $25 million crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall." Bannon used hundreds of thousands of dollars of that money to cover personal expenses, according to the charges. Trump has struggled to build his border wall - a key 2016 campaign promise - in the face of court challenges, logistical hurdles and congressional opposition. Donors were told that all of their contributions would go toward a wall, prosecutors said.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 20, 2020 20:37 UTC