Kris Kobach, the former Secretary of State of Kansas and ally of President Trump
Donald John TrumpFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we will remember from the 2020 Biden Convention Chris Wallace labels Biden’s acceptance speech ‘extremely effective’ MAY, said in a 2019 interview that he had spoken to Trump three times about the effort to build a private border, which is now at the heart of a federal fraud investigation.
Kobach said in an episode of the show “We Build The Wall” in May 2019 that Trump was “enthusiastic” about the project and gave it his blessing.
“I have now spoken to the president three times about this project,” said Kobach, the attorney general and a board member for the project, at the time. “And he said – the first time I told him about it – he said, ‘Well, you’re telling the guys at We Build The Wall that they have my blessing.’ And he used those exact words. “
“And he’s continuous, I’ve met … as a conversation[ed] periodically with him on the phone, and I just talked to him about it, “he went on.” I want to say about a week and a half ago, and also keep him informed about our progress. That he is enthusiastic. ”
Kobach, who later also served on Trump’s commission for voter fraud in 2017 and ran for governor of Kansas in 2018, made several other comments about Trump’s approval of the project, saying in another video of the group that the president “a clear enthusiasm for the statement. “
Kobach’s comments were reported Friday by CNN’s KFile.
Former White House strategist Stephen Bannon and three others were arrested and charged with defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors who contributed to the We Build The Wall project, which sought to raise money for a private border wall. The project has raised more than $ 25 million.
The four men are facing charges including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder money. Each prosecutor has a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
“As indicated, the suspects defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing their interest in financing a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all that money would be spent on construction,” said acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.
Trump on Thursday tried to distance himself from the attempt, calling the fundraising project “inappropriate.”
‘I feel very bad. I have not been with him for a very long time, as most people in this room know, ‘Trump said, adding that Bannon had only served a short time in the administration and that he had no knowledge of We Build the Wall.
‘I did not like it, it was showboating and maybe I’m looking for funds. But you will have to see what happens, ”he continued.
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