Steve Bannon, Andrew Badolato indicted — but relationship spans decades

President Donald Trump's former White House adviser Steve Bannon and three other men could face up to 40 years in prison each after they were arrested Thursday and charged with wire fraud and money laundering.

Bannon and one of those men, Andrew Badaloto, have a relationship dating back two decades — including questionable business ventures.

Bannon, Badaloto, Brian Kolfage and Timothy Shea were named in an indictment unsealed by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the United States Postal Inspection Services for allegedly defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build the Wall” that raised more than $25 million. (Read the indictment at the end of the story.)

More: Steve Bannon, Andrew Badolato, Casey Key and a questionable association

The scheme began in December 2018, according to prosecutor. The “Build the Wall’’ campaign was intended to raise money to build a wall on the southern border of the United States and members of the group publicly stated all donations would be used for that cause. The indictment claimed those representations were false and the money raised was used for personal gains.

Badolato and Bannon have had a tight relationship since around 2000. Shortly after Bannon became Donald Trump’s campaign manager in 2016, he used Badolato’s address on a Florida voter registration form even though it was clear he never lived there.

MORE: Does Stephen Bannon live in Sarasota County? Because he’s registered to vote there

An investigation by the Herald-Tribune published in 2018 revealed that Badolato’s past includes “numerous lawsuits, substantial monetary judgments and sizable Internal Revenue Service liens filed against him; business dealings with convicted felons for stock-related fraud; an extortion attempt after he borrowed money from a self-described mobster that led to him wearing a wire for the FBI; an association with a Costa Rican offshore firm that was called a 'money laundering hub' by the Justice Department; and sexual assault allegations made by three women over a period of four years that allegedly took place inside his million-dollar home on Casey Key Road."

“As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction,’’ Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement. “While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of “We Build the Wall,’’ would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Steve Bannon's work with Andrew Badolato precedes alleged wall scheme