A jury considering whether to convict a Colorado businessman accused of siphoning money from a nonprofit set up to privately construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border was thwarted by a lone holdout, who refused to consider the evidence, called his fellow jurors “liberals,” and complained of a “government witch hunt.” The federal judge presiding over the trial declared a mistrial on Tuesday, after the 11 other jurors sent three frustrated notes over several days informing her of the deadlock. Timothy Shea, who Bloomberg News identified as the owner of a company selling MAGA-themed energy drinks marketed as containing “ultra-hydrating liberal tears,” faces conspiracy and falsification of records charges. Shea and his co-conspirators, including Steve Bannon, raised $25 million for their ‘We Build the Wall’ fundraising campaign. But the organizers quietly dipped into the pot for personal expenses, prosecutors have said, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the failed project. Shea is the only member of the conspiracy to stand trial, as Bannon was pardoned by then-President Donald Trump last January, and two other defendants pleaded guilty.
