Group behind privately funded border wall under criminal investigation
Source: ABC News
2 hrs ago
The group that raised millions of dollars to build a privately funded border wall separating Mexico from the U.S. is under criminal investigation in Florida, according to officials.
We Build The Wall, a nonprofit organization that crowdfunded more than $25 million on GoFundMe, is under investigation by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Services, which has oversight of nonprofits and charities in the state, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News via email.
(MORE: Privately funded border wall forced open by federal agency)
The investigation began after multiple complaints raising questions about the funds raised by the organization and how they were being allocated were sent to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the spokesperson said, but declined to comment further.
One of the complaints provided to ABC News by the department -- received on Jan. 13 and written by Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Wendy Tien, which she noted was written in her "personal capacity"-- expresses concerns that the group's founder and the creator of the GoFundMe campaign, Miramar resident Brian Kolfage, was redirecting the donations to the nonprofit after learning that GoFundMe may require him to refund the money since he did not meet his $1 billion goal.
In her complaint from January 2019, Tien wrote that a search of the Florida Secretary of State business organizations site "provides no evidence" that We Build The Wall, which is registered in Florida, has filed articles of incorporation as required, and that it "seems unlikely" that it has obtained 501(c)(4) status, making it tax-exempt as a social welfare organization, with the Internal Revenue Service.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/group-behind-privately-funded-border-wall-under-criminal-investigation/ar-AAFxD1H?li=BBnb7Kz
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