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Trump Campaign paid organisers of pre-Capitol insurrection rally over $2.7m ─Report

Ex-US President Donald Trump Addressing His Supporters at a Rally in Front of the White House Wednesday, January 6 Photo: ABCNews

*The Federal Election Commission filings reveal all the payments were made to individuals and firms through November 23, 2020, before the rally was publicly announced to Donald Trump’s supporters and other ‘lawless extremists’ who later invaded the Capitol Hill Wednesday, January 6

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Former US President Donald Trump’s campaign paid more than $2.7 million to individuals and firms that organised the Wednesday, January 6, 2021, rally that led to violent rioters storming the US Capitol, in Washington, D.C., according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The payments, which span Trump’s re-election campaign, show an ongoing financial relationship between the rally’s organisers and Trump’s political operation, Associated Press report said.

All the payments were reportedly made through November 23, 2020, the most recent date covered by Federal Election Commission filings, which is before the rally was publicly announced to the former President’s hordes of supporters and other ‘lawless extremists’.

Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol moments after the rally January 6   Photo: ABCNews

Report noted eight paid Trump campaign officials were named on the permit issued on by the National Park Service for the rally, including Maggie Mulvaney, the niece of Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former Chief of Staff who resigned his position as special envoy to Northern Ireland after the riots.

Maggie Mulvaney was paid $138,000 by the campaign through November 23 last year.

After the rally, in which the President encouraged them to march on the Capitol, Trump supporters stormed the building, disrupted the count of Electoral College votes in an event that ultimately killed five people.

Lawmakers and Vice-President Mike Pence, who was presiding over what is normally a ceremonial event, were forced to flee.

Megan Powers, listed as one of two operations managers on the permit, was paid $290,000 by the Trump campaign from February 2019 through the most recent filing period.

Powers served as Director of Operations for Trump’s campaign.

Caroline Wren, a top GOP (Grand Old Party ─the Republican Party) fundraiser who was listed on the permit as an adviser to the rally and Ronald Holden, the backstage manager, were also paid by the campaign.

Likewise, the biggest recipient of campaign funds, according to the report, was Event Strategies Inc., which was paid more than $1.7 million by Trump’s campaign and joint fundraising committee.

Justin Caporale and Tim Unes, the firm’s owners, served as rally Production Manager and Stage Manager respectively.

Women for America First, the nonprofit organisation that requested the permit on November 24, originally for an event to be held on January 23, was reported to have had a financial relationship with America First Policies, the pro-Trump nonprofit formed to advance his agenda shortly after he took office.

America First Policies made a $25,000 grant to Women for America First in 2019, its most recent tax return shows, report stated.

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