‘We Build The Wall’ Donors Demand Answers After Months Of No Construction
A “We Build The Wall” GoFundMe campaign quickly raised $22 million in online donations, but months after its launch and still no construction, donors are beginning to ask what’s being done with their money.
In the run-up to what became the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, all related to a debate over border wall spending, Purple Heart veteran Brian Kolfage launched a GoFundMe in December calling on people to privately fund a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
The activist currently promises that his campaign would “do it for a fraction” of the cost it would take the government, telling The Washington Post in January that his project would cost in the range of $2 to $3 million per mile.
The campaign proved wildly popularly. In a matter of weeks, the GoFundMe raised millions — $22 million to date, much of it from small-dollar donations. A number of high-profile conservatives have since joined the fundraiser, such as former executive chairman of Breitbart Steve Bannon, former Secretary of State of Kansas Kris Kobach, “Sheriff” David Clarke and others.
However, five months since it’s launch, not a single foot of wall has been built, and donors are beginning to demand answers.
“The lack of updates is very concerning,” Joshua Greene, a Washington state resident who donated to the campaign, said to The Daily Beast. Greene went on to say that he was aware of “previous shady GoFundMe campaigns” from Kolfage, but was confident this one would be legitimate since other “big names” joined on.
“I am very disappointed in you Brian Kolfage, where are the progress photographs?” a woman posted on the We Build The Wall Facebook Page, a comment first flagged by The Washington Post.
“I’ve been away for FIVE months,” one Twitter user wrote in April. “When’s the groundbreaking?”
After blowing past self-established deadlines, it’s still not clear when — or where — the wall will be built. Kolfage told Politico in February that his group would break ground by “May 1, June 1 at the latest.” During a radio interview in March, he said that they would begin in April.
In an exchange with The Daily Caller News Foundation in March, Kolfage said they would “break ground next month on our first section of border wall.” The activist refused to provide TheDCNF with work permits as proof for this claim, asserting that his group needed to protect the privacy of landowners. When asked where construction would take place, Kolfage simply listed off southern border states.
Since the publication of this article, Kolfage has still not revealed when or where wall construction will begin.
“There’s no update because we are remaining silent for a very good reason. You all will have the best present very soon. Remember powerful people want to stop our progress, so to not tip anyone off we are radio silent!!” Kolfage wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
