FBI Has Arrested An Orlando Man For Creating Fake Political Fundraising Websites Soliciting Money For Ron DeSantis And Donald Trump
The FBI has arrested Jason Pallante of Orlando. Federal prosecutors have alleged Pallante operated fraudulent political fundraising websites. He then diverted donations to himself for personal use.
As a result, Pallante now faces three counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The federal court unsealed the indictment on December 11th. It states that Pallante ran the America Great PAC. A PAC that he claimed was a Super PAC supporting presidential candidates.
The scam included dozens of websites. The websites appeared to support Trump. He also created 27 websites for DeSantis and 14 for Nikki Haley. He also created 10 for Vivek Ramaswamy and nine for former vice president Mike Pence. In addition, he created seven for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
During the 2024 primary season, the government alleges Pallante created numerous fake websites. These websites appeared to support various candidates. Indictment also included images of Pallante’s websites. He used photos, campaign language, and fonts similar to those of actual campaigns to make his sites look real. He also allegedly directed donations to the PAC rather than the intended candidates.
The PAC does not appear to be registered with the state of Florida.
In addition, Pallante used the websites to allegedly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, he used the funds to enrich himself. In 2023, prosecutors say he paid himself over $162,000. In 2024, he raised $334,000.
Campaign finance scams harm victims twice over. They steal people’s money. Thus, preventing them from using that money to support the causes and candidates of their choice.
Court guidelines say Pallante also faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge if convicted.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case.
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