Topline
The FBI and Department of Justice charged a 22-year-old man with wire fraud and identity theft Tuesday, accusing him of impersonating Trump family members on Twitter—and even tricking former President Donald Trump into believing one account was real—in raising more than $7,000 for a fake organization through the alleged scheme.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in Manhattan on May 18, 2021, in New York … [+]
Key Facts
Joshua Hall was arrested in Pennsylvania Tuesday morning and charged with wire fraud and identity theft, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and 2 years, respectively.
Hall allegedly “defrauded hundreds of victims” after amassing hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter while purporting to be members of the Trump family between September 2019 and December 2020, the FBI and DOJ said in their complaint against him.
Hall is accused of then using those accounts to solicit thousands of dollars in donations for a fictitious political organization that he instead used “on his own living expenses.”
The New York Times reported in December that Hall created accounts impersonating Trump’s brother Robert Trump, son Barron Trump and sister Elizabeth Trump Grau—now all removed by Twitter—that “[mixed] off-color political commentary with wild conspiracy theories.”
According to the Times, the fictitious political organization named in the complaint was known as “Gay Voices for Trump,” which advertised itself on GoFundMe as a “a grass-roots coalition of LGBT Americans,” which Hall admitted to the Times did not actually exist.
Hall’s impersonation scheme gained attention in November 2020 after Trump shared comments Hall made on the Grau account, mistaking the account as real and tweeting, “Thank you Elizabeth, LOVE!”
Big Number
$7,384. That’s how much Hall allegedly raised for the fake “Gay Voices for Trump” organization, according to the Times, which donors were told was being spent on “field organizing, events and merchandise.” Hall told the Times he “didn’t end up ever really doing anything with the Gay Voices for Trump” and claimed not to have received the funds from it, but GoFundMe told the publication the funds were withdrawn. The FBI complaint notes that Hall’s account on the crowdfunding site is now closed.
Crucial Quote
“Hall led hundreds of people to believe they were donating to an organization that didn’t exist by pretending to be someone he wasn’t, as alleged,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement Tuesday. “As we continue to investigate fraud in all its many forms, we urge the public to remain aware of the prevalence of online scams and exercise due diligence when making donations online.”
Chief Critic
Hall has not yet responded to the charges against him, but told the Times in December there was “no nefarious intention” behind his impersonation scheme. “I was just trying to rally up MAGA supporters and have fun,” Hall said. He also maintained to the Times his accounts were “clear parodies” and Trump should have realized the account claiming to be his sister was fake. “I’m a big Trump supporter, but I’m thinking, ‘He’s got to know that that’s a parody,’” Hall told the Times. “How does he not know?”
Key Background
Hall, a food delivery driver from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, also created fake accounts posing as former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, former White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and the father of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Times reports. Before his Trump family scheme, the Times notes Hall had also raised $815 on GoFundMe after asking followers to help him pay for a lawyer after a “a Planned Parenthood loving radical leftist” accused him of harassment, which led to a separate case against him.
Tangent
After Trump mistook Hall’s account for his sister, the actual Grau—who has stayed away from the spotlight and avoided publicly commenting on her brother’s presidency—told VICE News in November that she was “trying to delete” the fake account. “I have no statement,” Grau said. “I’m just annoyed about this whole thing.”
Further Reading
He Pretended to Be Trump’s Family. Then Trump Fell for It. (New York Times)
No, Trump’s sister did not publicly back him. He was duped by a fake account. (New York Times)
Trump Thought His Secretive Sister Finally Joined MAGA Twitter. So We Called Her. (VICE News)
Trump May Be Banned From Facebook, But He’s Still Reaching Millions—Through His Family (Forbes)
