Trio accused of raking in $3.5 million in 'stolen election' robocall scam -- and keeping all but $19
Three suspects have been accused of fooling Donald Trump supporters into making campaign donations that they kept for themselves.
According to a newly unsealed indictment, 34-year-old Matthew Nelson Tunstall, 38-year-old Robert Reyes, Jr. and 29-year-old Kyle George Davies blasted out robocalls to solicit donations for their Liberty Action Group PAC and Progressive Priorities PAC falsely claiming an affiliation with then-presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, reported The Daily Beast.
"The Liberty Action Group PAC, which falsely claimed an affiliation with Trump, offered a plea four years ahead of its time, calling on donors to contribute cash to ensure 'this election isn't STOLEN from the American people,' according to a copy of one robocall obtained by investigators," the website reported. "A separate script for Progressive Priorities pressed donors to help elect the 'first female president in U.S. history,' the indictment states."
The men were charged with conspiracy charge to commit wire fraud and to make a false statement to the Federal Election Commission, along with multiple counts of wire fraud, and Tunstall and Reyes also face multiple counts of money laundering.
FBI investigators say they brought in about $3.5 million from donors between January 2016 and April 2017, but gave less than $20 to any authorized campaign committee or to any political cause.
"Meanwhile, $1.5 million was transferred to Tunstall's personal and business bank accounts," The Daily Beast reported. "Roughly $714,000 was transferred to Reyes' accounts and about $84,000 was funneled into accounts held by Davies, according to the indictment."
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