Three Men Agree to Pay $50,000 for their roles in a Fake Charity for East Palestine

Three men who have worked as Republican political operatives agree to pay more than $50,000 dollars in restitution and penalties in Ohio for their roles in operating a phony charity that collected cash purportedly to help victims of the East Palestine train derailment. The settlement, announced by Ohio Attorney General, Dave Yost, requires Isaiah Wartman and Luke Mahoney of WAMA Strategies to pay more than $22,000 dollars to a local food bank, plus $3,000 in investigative costs and fees. Under the deal, Michael Peppel, co-founder of the fraudulent charity, Ohio Clean Water Fund, must pay a $25,000 dollar civil penalty and agree to a lifetime ban on starting, running or soliciting for any charity in the state, Yost announced. The pair formed WAMA Strategies together earlier this year. The settlement prohibits the strategy group from soliciting charitable donations in Ohio for the next four years, and Mahoney from starting, operating or soliciting contributions for any charity in Ohio until 2027.