The organization constructed a 0.5-to-1-mile (0.80 to 1.61 km) fence near El Paso, Texas on private land adjoining the border using $6–8 million of the donated funds.
In August 2020, Kolfage was indicted, along with Steve Bannon and two other co-defendants, on federal charges of defrauding hundreds of thousands of We Build the Wall donors by diverting money that was raised to personal use.
[8] Kolfage married his first wife, Nikki (née Grounds), in 2004 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, during his recovery from his military-service injuries.
[2] After becoming a right-wing political activist, Kolfage established various business ventures, including various fake news websites that promoted clickbait and conspiracy theories.
[2] The Independent noted that the websites relied on outrage-inducing headlines, "often false, racist and provocative—to increase viewership and shares"; headlines featured on the website included "Obnoxious Black People Lose Their Minds When Victoria Secret Models Say This 1 Word On Live Video" and "Trump Just Released Embarrassing Vids Of Obama's Muslim Friends That He Never Wanted Seen.
[7] Kolfage repeatedly denied owning Freedom Daily, but NBC News reported in 2019 that "former employees and competitors, most of whom asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution, provided company emails, employment documents and company checks that show Kolfage's home address as Freedom Daily's corporate business address.
[2] Kolfage frequently used social media to personally attack detractors and promote misinformation against those he perceived as opponents, including progressives, fellow veterans, and former conservative allies.
"[21] Other social media targets of Kolfage included the National Butterfly Center, which is located adjacent to a border fence constructed in the Rio Grande Valley.
"[2] Kolfage also lashed out at the International Boundary and Water Commission and the mayor of Sunland Park, New Mexico, blaming the latter for moving too slowly to grant border-wall permits.
[2] Kolfage closed his Twitter feed after he was indicted on federal charges, but in September 2020, he re-launched his account to promote his claim that the criminal prosecution against him is a politically motivated "witch hunt.
Through his border-wall campaign, Kolfage claimed to have amassed 3.5 million email addresses as well as phone numbers and names, a formidable asset in support of pro-Trump efforts.
[24] In March 2020, Kolfage ordered a total of 25 million masks for America First Medical from MAMS Global Trading House (a manufacturer and distributor of power tools and safety equipment based in Dubai).
[25] In December 2018, Kolfage, along with fellow Trump allies,[26] started an attempt to raise $1 billion via GoFundMe for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
"[27] In an email to the Washington Post, Kolfage stated that he began the fundraiser as "political games from both parties" have been holding back funding for the wall.
[26] His three co-founders were Steve Bannon, a former senior advisor to Trump; Timothy Shea, a Castle Rock, Colorado businessman who ran a pro-Trump group; and Andrew Badolato, a financier based in Florida.
[26] Its advisory board was filled with Trump allies, including Erik Prince, the founder of the private military company Blackwater (later known as Academi);[26] Tom Tancredo, a former Republican congressman from Colorado;[30][31] and Curt Schilling.
[33][34] In May 2019, the organization constructed a 0.5-to-1-mile (0.80 to 1.61 km) "weathered steel" bollard fence near El Paso, Texas on private land adjoining the border using $6–8 million of the donated funds.
[37][38][39][40] On August 20, 2020, Kolfage was indicted and arrested along with Steve Bannon and two other co-defendants (Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea) on charges of defrauding donors to build a border wall along the Mexico–U.S.
[26] In early May 2021, Kolfage was separately indicted by a grand jury in federal court in Pensacola, Florida on charges of fraud and filing false tax returns.
[48] Pleading guilty, Kolfage acknowledged that he induced donors to contribute to the group "in part through the misrepresentation that I would not profit from We Build the Wall or take a salary or compensation", and that he "knowingly and willingly conspired to receive money from the donations.