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‘I Have a Feeling This Is a Scam’: After $22 Million in Donations to Build the Wall Some Worry They’ve Been Had
“Have to keep that information secure for the time being as to prevent giving our detractors a heads up to derail our progress.”
We Build the Wall, a non-profit created after a GoFundMe campaign to build a wall on private land that comprises the U.S.-Mexico border, is facing sharp criticism from some of the very people who ponied up more than $22 million to keep Central American migrants out of America.
Why no updates on the status of the wall? I have a feeling this is a scam.
— Billy Costigan (@BroncosNerd) April 30, 2019
An article in The Daily Beast on Friday reports “there’s no evidence that any construction has started, despite claims from Kolfage and his allies that construction would start in April.”
Kolfage is “triple-amputee veteran Brian Kolfage,” who created the GoFundMe campaign and We Build the Wall nonprofit. He promised “in March that ‘we’re going to start breaking ground next month.’ The group had even promised to invite donors to a groundbreaking ceremony.”
“More than a week into May, though, We Build the Wall hasn’t shown any proof that any ground has been broken, and donors say they weren’t invited to any promised groundbreaking ceremony.”
Donors have every right to be nervous.
“Kolfage has a history of participating in questionable endeavors. He was a prolific operator of hoax pages on Facebook, and money he raised in the past to help veterans’ programs in hospitals never actually went to those hospitals.”
On Facebook, We Build the Wall responded to one self-described “old lady” who says she’s “worried about future of grandkids and great grand.” It’s not clear if she’s a donor, but she did get an interesting response.
“VERY soon we can release the details but have to keep that information secure for the time being as to prevent giving our detractors a heads up to derail our progress. Soon, everyone will have the update they’ve been waiting for which we can’t wait to share. This updated delay is just the unfortunate process of building a controversial barrier some people don’t want to happen.”
Whether or not We Build the Wall is actually building the wall, they are building their Twitter account:
— WeBuildtheWall (@WeBuildtheWall) May 7, 2019
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