The man, most responsible for the xenophobic policies of Donald Trump, was arrested yesterday morning. Steve Bannon was probably startled at 7:15 am aboard a 150-foot yacht when agents of the United States Postal Service, took him into custody, the charge, fraud. I can imagine Mr. Bannon dining on stuffed French toast, tiramisu, and freshly pressed cranberry juice. Twenty-five million dollars was raised from donations by a collective of Joe the Trumper(s), for a project called ‘We Build the Wall.’ A portion of that money, allegedly a little over one million dollars went to Bannon alone. The three other men arrested in this apparent grift are Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea. All of which, in total, received several hundreds of thousands of dollars from men and women whose breakfasts are more like Pop-Tarts, runny eggs, and boxed orange juice.
Some might say, so what, they took a little off the top—after all, they raised 25 million. The problem with that premise was the words of the fundraisers themselves who promised they would, “not take a penny in salary or compensation’ and that ‘100% of the funds raised ... will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose,”said the founder of the fundraiser Brian Kolfage. In what is called a speaking indictment, prosecutors for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) revealed the use of fraudulent invoices, a series of text messages outlining the scheme and bank records showing money amounting to 350,000 dollars rerouted to Kolfage. I guess that snazzy white Range Rover and a new boat takes a payment of 20 grand a month with a 100,000 dollar upfront fee.
The story of Brian Kolfage is another testament to how Mr. Trump can encourage disrepute, destroy reputations, and besmirch the honor, and the dignity of once good men. Brian Kolfage is a Purple Heart recipient; he lost three limbs for this country and then chose to throw his honor against a wall to see if anything stuck.
Bannon is the 7th member of Donald Trump’s inner circle of advisers to be indicted in less than four years. No other president in history has had as many indictments in their first term in office. Most, as a reward for their loyalty to Mr. Trump, were cast aside as hangers-on, nuisances, and at last, coffee boys. Trump supporters revolt against being called racist, appalling, and bigots but accepted their president calling them uneducated, “I love the poorly educated,”Mr. Trump said as part of his victory speech, a line repeated from his campaign. Apparently being called stupid is preferable to being deplorable. If Joe Biden used those words I would assume it was out of compassion, when Donald Trump used those words I assumed it was seething ridicule.
I am sitting at my desk, typing away at my keyboard with disappointed anger that America was so reckless in its last choice for President. I have hope, as I await the acceptance speech of Joe Biden, affirming his party’s nomination for the 46th President of the United States. Mr. Biden has been a selfless, less than perfect patriot, and I am sure Mr. Biden would be the first to admit that. That is exactly what will make Joe Biden a good president, humility, inherent honesty, the ability to change, the ability to listen, and the ability to empathize.
“Together we will overcome this season of darkness in America”—Joe Biden
Vote in 2020 for Change.