Phony Trump Christmas card scam tied to man already accused of using other methods to swindle Trump fans

After being indicted for running fraudulent political action committees in 2016, a Texas man used another PAC last month to offer Trump Christmas cards in exchange for $35 donations, according to a report from CNN's KFile.

Matthew Tunstall, 34, and two other men are accused of fraudulently collecting $3.5 million from donors in 2016, using robocalls and written solicitations to target supporters of both former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Instead of using the money to back the candidates, Tunstall and the other men allegedly enriched themselves.

After he was arrested on federal charges in connection with the 2016 scam on Nov. 9, Tunstall's new PAC — called Campaign to Support the President — allegedly ran 128,000 robocalls using spliced together recordings of Trump's public statements, CNN reports.

"On behalf of the entire Trump family, we wish everyone a merry Christmas and a very, very happy New Year," Trump's voice said in one of the robocalls. "President Trump wants everyone to celebrate Christmas and holidays, including you, while Democrats want to cancel Christmas gatherings. Get your Trump family Christmas card for every contribution of at least $35."

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A previous investigation by CNN in July found that Campaign to Support the President had raised millions of dollars through robocall solicitations impersonating the Trump presidential campaign. Campaign to Support the President reportedly was one of the largest robocall operations in the country in 2020 and 2021. However, the PAC ceased making robocalls in mid-June 2021 after being contacted by CNN, before launching the Trump Christmas card campaign last month.

"Though Campaign to Support the President was not part of the November indictment, it bears all the hallmarks of a scam PAC, according to experts CNN spoke with," the network reports.

Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, told CNN: "There are few things that infuriate prosecutors and judges like a defendant who continues to commit crime while out on bail -- particularly the same crime for which he is already indicted. If proven, the consequences here for Tunstall could be serious: revocation of bail, additional criminal charges, and enhanced sentencing after any conviction."

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