GET ME REWRITE: Wisconsin man with ties to Tim Michels, Scott Walker, and Tommy Thompson charged with telemarketing fraud that cheated people out of millions of dollars

 

Top headline: Wisconsin State Journal, 8/18/2023

Campaign contributions:  Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Bottom headline:  United States Attorney's Office

From the State Journal:

Criminal charges in Manhattan federal court were lodged against Richard Zeitlin, 53, of Las Vegas, and Robert Piaro, 73, of Fredonia, Wisconsin. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the men lied to donors by falsely letting them believe most of their donations were going to help veterans, aid law enforcement officers and fight breast cancer. 

“Instead, Zeitlin and Piaro allegedly exploited these important causes and the good intentions of everyday citizens to steal millions of dollars in small donations,” Williams said in a news release. 

According to an indictment in New York, Zeitlin's businesses pocketed 90 percent of the funds that were donated from 2017 to 2020 as a result of telemarketing campaigns.

Perhaps they learned the scam at Trump University.