Corrections: A previous version of this article stated that Turning Point USA paid Guilfoyle for her Jan. 6, 2021 speech. This article has been updated to reflect that an affiliate of TPUSA, Turning Point Action, made the payment. The article also stated that Rep. Lofgren told CNN TPUSA paid Guilfoyle. She told CNN that Guilfoyle was paid, not that it was Turning Point Action who paid her.
Turning Point Action paid Kimberly Guilfoyle $60,000 to introduce her fiancé, Donald Trump Jr., at the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Eclipse in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
Democratic California Rep. Zoe Lofgren told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Guilfoyle earned $60,000 for a two-and-a-half minute speech, CNN reported. She said the Jan. 6 Committee has evidence that the Trump family used donation funds for their personal gain though donors believed the money went toward legally combating alleged voter fraud, according to the outlet. News outlets later followed up with reporting showing that Turning Point Action, an affiliate of Turning Point USA, footed the bill.
“We know that Guilfoyle was paid for the introduction she gave at the speech,” Lofgren told Tapper Monday. “I mean, on January 6, she received compensation for that. I’m not saying it’s a crime, but I think it’s a grift.”
The House Select Committee pointed to $250 million reportedly raised in donations by the Save America PAC and Trump campaign during Monday’s hearing, CNN reported. The money had been donated by supporters of the former president to go toward court hearings on election fraud claims, fundraising emails showed. (RELATED: January 6 Committee Postpones Its Upcoming Hearing)
Democratic Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee chairman, clarified to CNN that the money paid to Guilfoyle came from expenditures from people who attended the rally. The public, including Trump supporters, were unaware of the payments at the time, he said, according to the outlet.
“First of all, we think the majority of the public would be concerned that if the girlfriend of Donald Trump [Jr.] made $60,000 for a few minutes speech, that they had no idea. She had to get paid to speak at something everybody else was coming to because they thought it was the right thing to do,” Thompson said, according to CNN.
A portion of donation money went to sectors of the Save America PAC, including $5 million toward Event Strategies Inc., former chief of staff Mark Meadows‘ charitable foundation, the America First Policy Institute and the Trump Hotel Collection, Deadline reported.
Guilfoyle met with the committee as a key witness in April as she was present at the rally with Trump preceding the riot, according to CNN. She also helped raise money for the event.
The committee subpoenaed Guilfoyle after she abruptly ended an interview in February when she learned her voluntary appearance with investigators was covered in the media, the outlet reported.
TPUSA and Guilfoyle did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.