Roger Stone, Alex Jones among those subpoenaed by Jan. 6 panel
Latest batch shows committee’s focus on financing and planning of rallies
Roger Stone and Alex Jones are among the latest group of people subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack.
This iteration focuses on five individuals who allegedly helped or had knowledge of the planning and financing of the rallies held on Jan. 5 and 6, the day of the insurrection by those seeking to overturn the election of Joe Biden. Dustin Stockton, Jennifer Lawrence and Taylor Budowich round out the group of five who are required to provide records by Dec. 6 and testimony to the panel by mid-December.
Stone, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, was in Washington on Jan. 5 and 6, and was scheduled to speak at the rally at the Ellipse that preceded the violent attack on the Capitol.
While in Washington, Stone used members of the Oath Keepers as security guards, several of whom were involved in the insurrection, and one who has been indicted. Stone promoted his attendance and solicited support to pay for security through stopthesteal.org.
Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist from his perch at Infowars, helped organize the rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, and facilitated a donation that he described as “eighty percent” of the funding. Jones also spoke at a Jan. 5 rally sponsored by the Eighty Percent Coalition. Jones has promoted false allegations of election fraud and encouraged people to attend the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse.
Stockton and his fiancee, Lawrence, reportedly helped organize a series of rallies with Women for America First after the presidential election, including the Ellipse demonstration to support Trump’s false election fraud claims.
Stockton was concerned that the Ellipse demonstration on Jan. 6 would lead to a procession to the Capitol that would mean “possible danger” and such concerns reached White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, the committee said in a release.
Budowich, currently a top spokesperson for Trump and the Save America political action committee, solicited a 501(c)4 organization to promote attendance at the Ellipse rally and to promulgate election lies, according to the committee.
“The Select Committee is seeking information about the rallies and subsequent march to the Capitol that escalated into a violent mob attacking the Capitol and threatening our democracy,” Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a statement. “We need to know who organized, planned, paid for, and received funds related to those events, as well as what communications organizers had with officials in the White House and Congress.”