KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Republican candidate for Kansas attorney general resigned Friday from the board of directors of a nonprofit group accused of defrauding people who believed they were donating to help build a wall on the southern border of the United States.
Kris Kobach has resigned from the board of directors and his position as general counsel of WeBuildTheWall, Inc., the Kansas City Star reported.
Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state, has built a national reputation advocating tough immigration policies and questioning the integrity of elections. He served as vice-chairman of former President Donald Trump’s Commission on Voter Fraud.
The company and Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump ally, were indicted Thursday in New York on allegations of money laundering, conspiracy and fraud in connection with the fundraising campaign.
Kobach, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the case, said he does not believe he is in any legal danger.
On Wednesday evening, before the indictment was dropped, Kobach said he was still with the organization to help it shut down legally. His campaign said he resigned from the board following The Star asked regarding his continued involvement.
State Sen. JR Claeys, a Republican from Salina and Kobach’s campaign spokesman, said Friday that a nonprofit might be shut down even though a case was pending once morest it.
Bannon and the organization were accused of transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars to third-party entities and using them to route payments to two other people involved in the scheme.
The organization and Bannon have pleaded not guilty.
Bannon was pardoned by Trump following being indicted on similar federal charges, but that does not affect state-level charges.
The Associated Press
