Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Thursday announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Continue reading “GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy Tests Positive For COVID-19”
WSJ: Admin Reverses Course, Says CDC Will Regain Control Of COVID Data Collection
The Trump administration appears to be reversing course and giving COVID-19 hospital data collection duties back to the the Centers for Disease Control, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing comments from White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx.
Continue reading “WSJ: Admin Reverses Course, Says CDC Will Regain Control Of COVID Data Collection”
Where Things Stand: A TPM Piñata
TPM reporter Matt Shuham has been on the story surrounding the “We Build The Wall” project for months. At one point during the bluster of breaking news this morning he likened covering the story of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s arrest, and all the absurd developments surrounding it, to “hitting a TPM piñata” — every time you smack it with a bat, something better falls out.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Den of Thieves
It somewhat defies commentary when something you’ve thought and said for years is suddenly confirmed by an unexpected new bundle of evidence. I should note the “I” isn’t relevant here. I’m one of legions who’ve thought and said this. The fact that Bannon was even involved with this crowdfund-the-wall “charity” wasn’t clear to me let alone that he was about to be indicted for perpetrating a massive fraud against the MAGAfied donors. But while it is entirely unexpected in the particular it’s entirely predictable, perhaps inevitable in general.
Trump Immediately Appeals After Judge OKs Manhattan DA Getting Tax Returns
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday cleared the way for Manhattan’s top prosecutor to get President Donald Trump’s tax returns, rejecting a last-ditch attempt by his lawyers to block a subpoena issued to his accounting firm.
Continue reading “Trump Immediately Appeals After Judge OKs Manhattan DA Getting Tax Returns”
All The Bannon That’s Fit To Print
I know you came for our ongoing coverage of today’s remarkable convergence of Stephen Bannon and Brian Kolfage’s border wall bamboozlement in federal criminal purgatory. You can find all of it right here.
The Rise And Fall Of ‘We Build The Wall’: Catch Up On TPM’s Coverage
Manhattan federal prosecutors dropped a bombshell indictment on Thursday morning alleging that “We Build The Wall,” a grassroots campaign that aimed to privately fund President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, was a scam orchestrated by former Trump campaign chairman Stephen Bannon and group founder Brian Kolfage.
Here’s a synopsis of TPM’s coverage of the comically inept project, which had raised at least $25 million on GoFundMe since its launch in late 2018:
Border Wall GoFundMe Campaign Celebrates First Mile, Asks For More Money
“WE DID IT!!!” Kolfage cheered on Facebook on May 27. The follow-up: “DONATE NOW to fund more walls! We have many more projects lined up!”
GoFundMe Border Wall Ordered To Cease And Desist After Failing To Provide Permit
Then the project got tangled in legal woes literally the next day.
Kobach-Backed Wall GoFundMe Presses On With Construction After Permit Issues
But no fear! “We Build The Wall” kept up its efforts, which anti-immigration hardliner and failed Senate candidate Kris Kobach enthusiastically endorsed.
Kobach Used Private Border Wall’s Email List To Fundraise For Senate Campaign
It was later revealed that he used the group’s mailing list to raise donations for his eventually doomed campaign.
‘We Appreciate You’: GoFundMe Border Wall Exec’s Chummy Interview With Militia Leader
The organization also pursued questionable partnerships with anti-government extremists.
GoFundMe Border Wall Group Reaches Out To Oath Keepers, Other Right-Wing Militias
…several times.
In Awesome Twist, GoFundMe Border Wall Spills Into Mexico
In July 2019, the Mexican government revealed that the wall had breached the border. Kolfage did nothing but throw up his hands and state that his contractor would not remove the debris.
How A Border Wall Fundraiser Jumped Head-First Into The International Medical Supply Game
Fast-forward to April 2020, when Kolfage suddenly decided he would get involved in the medical shortage crisis amid COVID-19. His efforts were less than lackluster.
‘The Government Sucks At Designing Things,’ Said Border Wall Builder Whose Project Might Now Collapse (TPM member exclusive)
Kolfage argued that “it takes the private industry to get modern solutions solved,” but the private industry should probably make sure that its solutions aren’t at risk of getting washed away by the Rio Grande.
Of Course Trump Is Trolling Biden On Final Night Of Democratic Convention
WASHINGTON (AP) — On Joe Biden’s big day, President Donald Trump is planning to show up in his rival’s old backyard.
Trump, in what can only be described as a piece of campaign trolling, on Thursday afternoon was staging an event just outside the former vice president’s birthplace in Scranton, Pennsylvania, mere hours before Biden formally accepts the Democratic nomination for president.
Continue reading “Of Course Trump Is Trolling Biden On Final Night Of Democratic Convention”
TPM’s Next (Virtual) Event
On September 3 from 5 – 7 p.m. ET, TPM is hosting a virtual Zoom event focused on the unique challenges of holding an election during the crisis that is 2020. TPM staff will be joined by Hannah Fried, All Voting is Local’s national campaign director and the former national director and deputy general counsel for voter protection on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and Tammy Patrick, senior adviser at the Democracy Fund and an expert on vote by mail, to discuss efforts to take advantage of the crisis to suppress votes.
READ: Steve Bannon, Others Indicted In Alleged ‘We Build The Wall’ Fundraising Scheme
A federal grand jury in Manhattan has indicted former Trump campaign chairman Stephen K. Bannon, accusing him and three others of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a border wall fundraising scheme.