FORMER Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been arrested after being charged with fraud over his fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
The Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York (SDNY) said that Bannon, who was one of the main architects of the US President’s campaign, and three others were arrested for leading the “We Build The Wall” online fundraising campaign that “defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors”.
The drive raised $25 million (£19m), according to the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
Bannon received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, the DoJ said.
He is due to appear in court later.
In a statement, acting US attorney Audrey Strauss said that Bannon, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea had capitalized on donors’ interest in building a border wall while instead funneling millions of dollars to fund the “lavish lifestyle” of “We Build The Wall” founder and public face Brian Kolfage.
"While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle," Strauss said.
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