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New evidence unsealed of how Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 rally was funded

Bart Jansen, Josh Meyer, Aysha Bagchi

USA TODAY

Published 2:45 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2024

Updated 5:12 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2024

WASHINGTON – A trove of new records released in the federal election-interference case against former President Donald Trump described how money was spent on Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021.

The revelations were among 1,900 pages of evidence for federal charges against Trump that he tried to steal the 2020 election. The evidence also includes details of how his supporters spent election night at the White House and how Trump reacted to the riot at the Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is weighing the evidence to determine whether Trump is immune to federal charges, based on a Supreme Court ruling in July.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, opposed the release less than three weeks before the election as an example of prosecutors publishing “cherry-picked materials” that “would prejudice potential jurors and endanger potential witnesses” three weeks before the election.

But Chutkan ruled that keeping the documents confidential could also be considered election interference.

Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, called the release of evidence in the case interference in the election and said the case should be thrown out. He said “the entire case is a sham and a partisan” that “should be dismissed entirely.”

Budget documents show as much as $3 million for Jan. 6 rally and related events

The newly released documents also show that an unnamed organization budgeted as much as $3 million on the Jan. 6 rally and related events, including for bringing VIP guests and protesters to Washington and ad buys for a show of force.

Several versions of the “Confidential – Not To Be Disclosed” document are included, with some redactions, and appear to have been prepared for House Jan. 6 Select Committee investigating the attacks, which disclosed some of the information.

But the documents released Friday show that $1 million was budgeted for Turning Point Action, a grassroots non-profit group founded in 2019 by Charlie Kirk to embolden young conservatives “through grassroots activism.”

The money was earmarked for having TPA deploy social media influencers and students from around the country to Washington to attend the rally, to produce “all the video content at the event” and to run nationwide ads “educating millions about the significance of January 6th for President Trump.”

Another $500,000 was budgeted for a group founded by Donald Trump Jr., “Save the U.S. Senate,” to stop alleged voter fraud in Georgia and help re-elect Republican Senate candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The document said the investment would “help support attendance" at a Jan. 4 rally with Trump in Georgia and to make additional ad buys featuring Trump’s eldest son “to encourage Senators Loeffler and Perdue to vote to stop the steal in Georgia on January 6.”

The budget documents show another $400,000 was budgeted for Tea Party Express to create a centralized website to promote the rally events on January 5th and 6th, including targeted ads and a television, radio and digital campaign to promote the January 6th rally and encourage attendance.

Another $200,000 was budgeted to a person whose name and company were redacted, “to assist with his organization efforts.” And a separate group whose name was also redacted was budgeted to receive $100,000, the estimated cost of their hotels, private flights, car services and private security for about 10 to 15 of its members.

The Republican Attorneys Generals (RAGA) Rule of Law Defense was budgeted to receive $200,000 to fund their legal efforts to fight the election fraud nationwide and file lawsuits.

And $300,000 was budgeted for speaker fees and travel for VIP speakers and a busing program to bring in rallygoers within a 180-mile radius. Witnesses describe White House uncertainty on 2020 election night

Many of the unsealed documents are transcripts of depositions from the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. The testimony documents the uncertainty at Trump’s White House election-night party about who won the race and Trump’s reaction to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

A guest who had been in the residential part of the White House on election night described 15 or 20 people moving down to the Green Room to await results with Trump. The witness described someone telling the president loudly that the election was stolen, while others said, “whoa, whoa, whoa, just let’s go out and say there’s still time, we need to do this count, we’ll see you in the morning.”

Later, on Jan. 6, a White House staffer said he told Trump at 1:21 p.m., when he returned from giving an outdoor speech on the Ellipse, that television coverage cut away at the end of the speech to cover the rioting. Trump was incredulous, the staffer said.

“I get the TV, like, ready for him and hand him over the remote, and he starts watching it,” the staffer said. “And I stepped out to get him a Diet Coke, come back in, and that’s pretty much it for me as he’s watching it and, like, seeing it for himself.”

Why were the documents released now?

Trump is charged with conspiring to steal the 2020 election by urging state lawmakers to change election results in their states, recruiting alternate presidential electors in states President Joe Biden won and obstructing Congress in counting Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021. He pleaded not guilty.

The evidence, such as transcripts of witness testimony, was part of Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s explanation of the case against Trump filed last month. The 165-page public filing included an appendix of sealed evidence that has remained confidential while Chutkan decides whether to release it publicly.

The fight over the evidence is likely the last opportunity before the Nov. 5 for revelations in the case that might not be tried for months or years.

The Supreme Court ruled that Trump should be shielded from charges for official duties but is vulnerable to charges for private actions. Trump has argued he is immune from all charges. But Smith contends Trump’s actions were private because they electioneering to remain office after losing the election.

Using Trump’s own words against him?

The documents include scores of Trump social media posts casting doubt on the validity of the 2020 election, despite the failure of Trump and his allies to ever prove widespread fraud in court and numerous of audits and recounts showing President Joe Biden won.

The posts may indicate how Smith plans to use Trump’s own words to illustrate the alleged strategy for overturning the 2020 election, if the case ever goes to trial.

In a tweet Nov. 6, 2020, for instance, Trump appeared to call for tossing out votes and letting the Supreme Court decide the victor.

“The OBSERVERS were not allowed, in any way, shape, or form, to do their job and therefore, votes accepted during this period must be determined to be ILLEGAL VOTES,” Trump posted. “U.S. Supreme Court should decide!”

By the day of the attack on the Capitol, Trump indicated he wanted Mike Pence to toss out the results and then to get state legislatures involved.

“Many States want to decertify the mistake they made in certifying incorrect & even fraudulent numbers in a process NOT approved by their State Legislatures (which it must be). Mike can send it back!” Trump tweeted, tagging his vice president in the Jan. 6, 2021 post.

Smith may even be hoping to use Trump’s pledge to “free” the many defendants who have been convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes to argue that Trump was in on a criminal plot back in 2020 and early 2021.

“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” Trump posted on Truth Social on March 11 of this year. That post is included in the documents.