Braun’s previous run-ins with authorities included the drug dealing conviction as well as a civil case filed by the Federal Trade Commission that resulted in a $20 million judgment against him in 2024 after a jury trial. The FTC said Braun ran a loan company that illegally withdrew money from customers’ accounts and sometimes threatened physical violence to get them to pay.

Knew I’d find a financial crime of some sort. This is the kind of guy Trump likes.