KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Before Kris Kobach lost the Kansas Republican primary for U.S. Senate in August 2020, his pitch to voters included his work for We Build the Wall, the nonprofit funding the construction of strips of wall along the southern border.
As its general counsel, Kobach commanded a handsome fee of $25,000 per month. He was sometimes the organization's public face, appearing on conservative media and in slick promotional materials.
Everything changed 16 days after the election, when federal prosecutors charged leaders of We Build the Wall, including former White House strategist Steve Bannon, with defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors. They created sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up crimes, prosecutors alleged.
