A federal judge has ordered an organizer of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 rally in Washington to pay $2,000 a day until she responds to a subpoena seeking information about the volatile event’s planning and fundraising efforts.
Republican fundraiser Caroline Wren, who was listed as a “VIP ADVISOR” with the “Save America” rally, was issued the stiff fine shortly after failing to attend a virtual hearing in Florida on Wednesday related to a subpoena that was first filed against her by U.S. Capitol police officers in early 2024.
The officers, who were injured in the Jan. 6 attack, are seeking information from her that they say is relevant to a lawsuit they filed against Trump, his presidential campaign and others. This information includes “documents regarding the Rally, including planning the programming, fundraising, communications about planning, the VIP section, security, and encouraging attendance,” according to court documents.
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Trump infamously spoke at the rally, telling his supporters that the election had been stolen and that they had to “fight like hell” before directing them to march to the U.S. Capitol, which was then violently ransacked.
Some of the event’s organizers reportedly knew about Trump’s plans to order the crowd to march to the Capitol, despite them repeatedly denying it to the National Park Service, according to an inspector general investigation.
U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks on Wednesday slammed Wren as having a “pattern of disregard and non-engagement” while ordering her to be held in civil contempt.
Her refusal to comply with the subpoena, he said, has “deprived [the officers] of the fair and full access to discoverable material to which they are entitled.”
He warned that she could face additional sanctions should she continue to be unresponsive, including potential jail time.
Attempts to reach Wren for comment Thursday were not immediately successful.
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According to Politico, Wren isn’t the only witness accused of defying a subpoena related to the officers’ lawsuit.
There’s been “radio silence” from former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani since he was subpoenaed back in April last year for information related to the rally, a lawyer for the officers reportedly told U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
Ramos indicated that he would issue a written decision on Giuliani’s silence soon.