MEMO: Jan 6 Report Watch: Remember the MAGA Extremists & Corporations That Still Threaten Democracy 

MEMORANDUM

DATE: Sunday, December 18, 2022

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Tony Carrk, Executive Director, Accountable.US

SUBJECT: Jan 6 Report Watch: Remember the MAGA Extremists & Corporations That Still Threaten Democracy 

On January 6, 2021, our democracy came under direct and violent assault over the “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential was stolen. This week, the Select Committee formed to investigate the attack will release their report about the factors leading up to the Insurrection. For the past two years, Accountable.US has been calling out the special interests, big money donors, and corporations that have supported, made excuses for, or turned a blind eye, to that tragic day. Even though some want to move on, downplay, and forget, we will not.  

In our focus: This week, our focus will be on three areas. First, we will be spotlighting the dark money right-wing groups that egged on the insurrectionists. Second, we will call out the MAGA extremists in Congress that encouraged, even planned with, the rioters who will likely be mentioned in the report. Third, we will expose corporate interests that now donate to Members of Congress who perpetuate the Big Lie, even after condemning them. 

Right-wing groups. The January 6th insurrection may have happened as a result of the previous White House’s conduct, but it was facilitated by an ever-expanding network of shadowy right wing groups. Since Accountable.US launched its Monitoring Influence project this fall, our research has provided journalists and citizens alike with the in-depth analysis they need to hold these groups accountable. As we look towards the next Congress, many of the same powerful right-wing groups and MAGA Billionaires that were integral to fomenting the January 6th insurrection have maintained their prominence in conservative political circles actively looking to influence the agenda of the incoming House majority. As such, Accountable.US will be releasing a report tracking the current political activities of Jan 6th figures and groups and a later report on growing right-wing extremism and election denialism in congress and its connection to hard right group Turning Point USA.

The ‘Sedition Caucus.’ Even after the violence at the Capitol on January 6, lawmakers still voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election, in itself an action to keep the “Big Lie” alive. In all, 147 Members of Congress joined this “Sedition Caucus.” Now, some of these members are slated to hold powerful positions in the next Congress, including possible Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, incoming House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan, and MAGA extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene. Our work will expose their actions as they try to rewrite history and push an extreme agenda on the American people. 

Corporate Underwriting. For more than a year, Accountable.US has documented the millions of dollars in corporate money that continued to flow to the 147 members of the Sedition Caucus. Our ongoing American Democracy Scorecard project has called out dozens of Fortune 500 companies that trumpet their support of democracy and voting rights while simultaneously funneling money to the very people out to destroy it and disenfranchise voters of color. Our message has been clear: by donating to these lawmakers, corporations are saying they share those values. They risk their reputation by disregarding most American customers, employees, and shareholders who want to buy from, work for, or invest in a company that shares their values – not just one that preserves its bottom line. We will soon release the most up to date total of donations from corporate interests to these election deniers in Congress.