By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Two former associates of Steve Bannon are set to be sentenced on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, after they admitted to conspiring to defraud donors to a campaign to build former President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Brian Kolfage, a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran who lost his legs and right hand in a rocket attack in Iraq, and Andrew Badolato pleaded guilty a year ago to misappropriating funds meant for the “We Build the Wall” campaign.
They led the push alongside Bannon, Trump’s former strategist who was also charged but received a presidential pardon from Trump during the final hours of his term.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan asked that Kolfage spend 51 months in prison, while Badolato should serve 41 months.
Kolfage was accused of taking more than $350,000 and spent it on boat payments, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery. He also pleaded guilty to tax charges.
“While they were publicly promising that 100% of donated funds would go towards construction of a southern border wall, and that Kolfage would take no money, the defendants privately arranged to steal donor money to compensate Kolfage,” prosecutors wrote.
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres is set to hand down sentences at an 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) hearing.
Lawyers for Kolfage proposed that he be sentenced to home detention, citing his medical needs. Badolato’s lawyers said three years of probation is sufficient for their client because he was less culpable.
Another defendant, Timothy Shea, was convicted at trial in October. He is set to be sentenced in June.
In September, Bannon was indicted in New York state court in Manhattan on money laundering and conspiracy charges over the planned wall. He pleaded not guilty. Trump’s pardon of Bannon covered federal crimes but not alleged state crimes.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
