There’s backlash over an apparent gala at former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club, which is being touted as a legal fundraiser to support people serving time in jail for the Jan. 6th Capitol riot. NBC New York’s Sarah Wallace reports.
Former President Donald Trump will not be in attendance at a fundraising campaign slated to be held at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club next month in support of those serving time in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection case, his campaign confirmed.
The campaign made no further comment to NBC News regarding the so-dubbed "J6 Awards Gala."
The Sept. 5 event at Trump National Golf Club is hosted by the Stand in the Gap Foundation, a “non-profit foundation dedicated to advocating for change in re-entry, family services, and justice reform,” that focuses on Jan. 6 defendants, according to the event website.
Stand in the Gap is listed as a sponsor, along with Glory Bank and The America Project, according to the Daily Beast, which first reported the event.
The main event page features a flyer that includes Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani among the invited speakers. Giuliani's representatives didn't immediately return Axios' request for comment, nor did those for the golf club or the nonprofit.
According to The New York Times, the husband of the woman behind the nonprofit is a former law enforcement officer in Tennessee who is serving time in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection. The organization's co-founder is another Jan. 6 defendant, the paper reports.
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According to the event page, the night will feature 20 Jan. 6 defendants who contributed to the song "Justice for All," a charity record by former President Donald Trump and the J6 Prison Choir. Trump has used the recording to open campaign events.
"The funds raised will provide much-needed assistance to the January 6th defendants who continue to face significant challenges," the page says.
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Tickets to the gala range from $1,500 for general admission to $50,000 for a VIP Platinum table for 12 guests.
Reddit backlash to the event was swift.
More than 1,265 people across nearly all 50 states and D.C. have been federally charged in the three years since the Capitol riot, according to a 2024 report released marking the milestone. About 750 have been sentenced.
Trump has promised to pardon people charged in connection with the case.
Five people died in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 assault. Those include former U.S. Capitol police officer and New Jerseyean Brian Sicknick, whose family was among those headlining civilian speeches at the Democratic National Convention's final night Thursday.
