Steve Bannon was arrested Thursday off the coast of Connecticut aboard a mega-yacht owned by business associate and Chinese billionaire refugee Guo Wengui. He was charged Thursday in New York with alleged use of the viral ‘We Build the Wall’ fundraising campaign to siphon money for personal expenses. The infamous anti-China populist, who also raced against the “global elites,” was arrested by U.S. Postal Service inspectors while cruising Long Island Sound in a $ 28 million ship, Lady May. Just the day before his arrest, Bannon appeared to host a podcast episode of The Hunt and even interviewed We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage to promote the fundraiser.
It is not clear if Guo was also on board the yacht. Guo, who fell out with the ruling Community Party of China, fled to the US in 2014 after being accused of corruption, bribery, kidnapping, rape and other charges. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that federal and state authorities were investigating a case that Bannon launched with Wengui this spring called GTV Media Group. After the company raised more than $ 300 million in a private offering, at least two banks froze accounts and both the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission opened inquiries into whether the company and Guo employees violated security laws through the placement for private shares.
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