Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said Monday on CNN’s coverage of the House Select Committee hearing on the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that former President Donald Trump did not use the money he fundraised for his election legal battle for that purpose.
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “There was almost a through-line that you and the committee members thought that some of Trump’s supporters are victims of this, even some of those who got swept up on January 6 — that they got grifted by a fundraising appeal that was going out several times a day to raise money for battles in courts that didn’t happen. Also, you showed people deceived, talking about why they were there on January 6.”
Lofgren said, “People were conned by the former president. They were conned into believing that the election had been stolen and that they should go to the Capitol, as the president asked them to. They were conned. I think the average donation from those emails, false email requests, something like $17. These were people that weren’t rich people. They were conned by the president. It was a big lie and also a big rip-off.”
Tapper said, “You were just asked, I think, by Manu Raju if the committee has found evidence that Trump and his family, quote, ‘personally benefitted from donations,’ and you said yes. That’s a serious allegation. Do you have more details? Is that a crime?”
Lofgren said, “I don’t know. We’re a legislative committee, so that’s for somebody else to decide. But, for example, we know that Guilfoyle was paid for the introduction she gave at the speech on January 6. She received compensation for that.”
Tapper asked, “But is that a crime?
Lofgren said, “I’m not saying it’s a crime, but I think it’s a grift.”
Tapper said, “It’s a grift because you’re telling Trump people, Trump supporters out there in the hinterlands, give us money to –”
Lofgren interjected, “Go to court to defend this election when, in fact –”
Tapper said, “And then, instead, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is Don Trump, Jr.’s fiancee, gets paid money.”
Lofgren said, “$60,000 for two and a half minutes. You had money going to Mark Meadows’ foundation and to another foundation that hired the Trump supporters who lost their jobs. So it wasn’t what he said to his donors. This is to defend the election. It was an entirely different purpose. I think that was deceptive and not right.”
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