Jan. 6 rioters are raking in thousands in donations. Now the US is coming after their haul
https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-fundraisers-fines-clawback-justice-department-3490da93a6bea505e76bd249eeab72baJan. 6 rioters are raking in thousands in donations. Now the US is coming after their haul
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Less than two months after he pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol, Texas resident Daniel Goodwyn appeared on Tucker Carlson’s then-Fox News show and promoted a website where supporters could donate money to Goodwyn and other rioters whom the site called “political prisoners.”
The Justice Department now wants Goodwyn to give up more than $25,000 he raised — a clawback that is part of a growing effort by the government to prevent rioters from being able to personally profit from participating in the attack that shook the foundations of American democracy.
An Associated Press review of court records shows that prosecutors in the more than 1,000 criminal cases from Jan. 6, 2021, are increasingly asking judges to impose fines on top of prison sentences to offset donations from supporters of the Capitol rioters.
Dozens of defendants have set up online fundraising appeals for help with legal fees, and prosecutors acknowledge there’s nothing wrong with asking for help for attorney expenses. But the Justice Department has, in some cases, questioned where the money is really going because many of those charged have had government-funded legal representation.
Most of the fundraising efforts appear on GiveSendGo, which bills itself as “The #1 Free Christian Fundraising Site” and has become a haven for Jan. 6 defendants barred from using mainstream crowdfunding sites, including GoFundMe, to raise money. The rioters often proclaim their innocence and portray themselves as victims of government oppression, even as they cut deals to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors.
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First some background.
I live on the Virginia Northern Neck -- a peninsula of six counties bounded on the north and south by the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, east by the Chesapeake Bay, and north by the Virginia mainland. We also are home to Northern Neck Regional Jail -- because jails are expensive to operate, Virginia has regional jails for which several counties share the cost with the state. Because of our proximity to DC, NNeck Regional houses federal prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing -- anywhere from 6 to 20 Jan 6 insurrectionists have been housed there, the last one departed about a month ago.
Back in the heyday of the Tea Party we were home to three of them, two of which died out in 2015-16, one of which (King George County Tea Party) hung on until its president -- and the only person who kept them alive -- was arrested for his part in Jan 6 -- James Russell Davis, he has yet to come to trial. https://conandaily.com/2021/07/28/james-russell-davis-biography-13-things-about-us-capitol-riot-suspect-from-king-george-virginia/
We also are home to a raving nut named John Haynes who publishes a monthly "newspaper," ("The Northern Neck Sentinel"
distributed free that is our source for all the bullshit you have ever heard: anti-vaxx, stolen election, Democrats are commies, Joe Biden has dementia and uses a body double, and the "J6ers" (as they are know) are innocent political prisoners.
And now for the rest of the story.
About 18 months ago, some former members of one of our defunct Tea Parties reconstituted themselves as "The Northern Neck Patriots," headed by a self-appointed "pastor" who was tossed out of the Navy for refusing COVID vaccine.
The "Patriots" started weekly visits to the NNeck Regional Jail where they visited with the J6ers held there, listened to their tales of mistreatment, poor diet, beatings by guards, and the like -- all bullshit. They have sued the jail administration (all thrown out of court). The also started attending county supervisors' meetings of all NNeck counties, urging the supervisors to fire the warden, investigate the prison, and the like -- none of the supervisors took them up on it, basically listening to them then moving on to the next agenda item.
Needless to say, the "Patriots" and the "Sentinel" have been big in pushing for donations to various groups claiming to be supporting the J6ers.
Would be interesting to see who is really profiting off this.
