Some major corporations backed key funders
In this episode of Democracy & Destiny, Professor Torres-Spelliscy, author of Corporatocracy: How to Protect Democracy from Dark Money and Corrupt Politicians explores how campaign finance and dark money can enable anti-democratic movements like the January 6th Insurrection without leaving fingerprints.
Who paid for this insurrection? The question is a complicated one. Many groups — from the Stop The Steal Coalition to Women for America First — and individuals, ranging from social media influencers hoping for 15 minutes of fame to militia members, converged on the Capitol. Clearly, not every person there was violent. Some were there in the spirit of nonviolent political protest. Others, like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, arrived with premeditated plans. There does not appear to be a single source that funded all of these disparate individuals.
The planning for the events on January 5th and 6th, 2021, morphed over time. Participating groups used names like the Million MAGA March, the March for Trump, the Stop the Steal Rally, and the Ellipse Rally. At one point, Ali Alexander was planning a Stop the Steal rally at the Capitol.
Many participants paid their own way to D.C. Those from Virginia or Maryland could take the Metro. Others, like Katherine Schwab, Jason Highland, and Jenna Ryan, flew in the same private jet. Ryan later claimed she wouldn’t go to jail because she was blonde. She was sentenced to 60 days — the longest sentence among the three. Roger Stone arrived on a different private jet. Millions from Julie Fancelli were used to mobilize a huge crowd to the Capitol.
Fancelli was inspired to donate after watching an episode of Alex Jones's Infowars. The January 6th Committee noted one of Jones's co-hosts floated the idea of storming the Capitol. Jones marched to the Capitol that day. Julie Elli and GOP fundraiser Carolyn Wren coordinated funding bus rides to D.C.
Mike Lindell’s MyPillow sponsored red buses used for March for Trump rallies. Some rolled into D.C. on January 5th. Groups later charged with seditious conspiracy, like the Proud Boys, also fundraised. Zachary Rehl posted a fundraiser titled “Travel Expenses for Upcoming Patriot Events.” The January 6th Committee found that some rioters bought weapons and tactical gear just before the riot. Stewart Rhodes amassed an arsenal in the days before.
Another source of funding came from the Trump campaign, which spent millions through a shell LLC called American Made Media Consultants, including on January 6th messaging. Even mainstream Republican sources contributed.
According to ProPublica, Carolyn Wren directed roughly $150,000 from FCI to the Rule of Law Defense Fund, the dark money arm of the Republican Attorney General’s Association (RAGA). The Fund paid for a robocall that said: “At 1:00 PM, we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal.”
Public companies and trade associations donated nearly $17 million to RAGA in the 2020 election cycle — 51.6% of its funding. The Center for Political Accountability identified top donors as Anthem, Altria, Comcast, Walmart, Home Depot, Anheuser-Busch, and Pfizer.
Top trade association donors included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America, PhRMA, the Entertainment Software Association, the Association of Dental Support Organizations, and the American Petroleum Institute. According to Open Secrets, the Judicial Crisis Network — now the Concord Fund — also contributed to groups involved in the rally.
The dark money group gave $1.9 million to the Rule of Law Defense Fund and more to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).
Pay to Play Segment
In her weekly installment of Pay to Play, Professor Torres-Spelliscy recounts the troubling case of Philip Flores, the owner and CEO of Intellipeak Solutions. He pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme involving $16 million in small business government contracts.
Flores admitted bribing Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano with expensive meals, World Series and Super Bowl tickets, and other perks.
Special Guest
Robert Maguire from CREW joins Professor Torres-Spelliscy to talk about money in politics, especially at the federal level and the so-called “Sedition Caucus.”
Maguire writes and researches campaign finance and is Research Director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). His work has appeared in Time Magazine, Business Insider, Salon, and more.
