The Utah Attorney General's Office says Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes had no involvement or knowledge of controversial robocalls encouraging conservatives and supporters of President Donald Trump to march on the U.S. Capitol. That march turned into a violent riot, leaving five people dead.
This comes as a large list of donors to a Republican group accused of making those robocalls, is revealed. That list includes some of the world's biggest companies, including Google, Facebook, and Walmart, as well as Utah-based companies doTerra, Vivint, and 1-800-Contacts.
The robocalls were made prior to the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the Capitol by the Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF), a conservative lobby group that Reyes headed as recently as just a few months ago. The exact dates of Reyes' leadership over the group is unknown but his office did confirm that he headed RLDF until "fall 2020.
One of the robocalls went out the day before the deadly pro-Trump mob attack at the Capitol. The call, which had a woman's voice on the line, was first reported by Documented, and stated:
I’m calling for the Rule of Law Defense Fund with an important message. The march to save America is tomorrow in Washington D.C. at the Ellipse in President’s Park between E St. and Constitution Avenue on the south side of the White House, with doors opening at 7:00 a.m. At 1:00 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections. For more information, visit MarchtoSaveAmerica.com. This call is paid for and authorized by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, 202-796-5838.”
You can listen to the call below:
The RLDF, which is 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization, is an arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), also a tax-exempt organization, which aims to elect Republican Attorneys General nationwide while lobbying to "promote the rule of law, limited government, legal reform, public safety, and the preservation of conservative values," the "About" section on RAGA's website says.
The Utah Attorney General's Office released a statement regarding the robocalls, saying Reyes was not involved with them in any way.
The statement reads:
A.G. Reyes was not involved in organizing the rally in Washington, D.C. He supports everyone’s rights to peacefully protest and, as stated previously, condemns in the strongest possible terms, all acts of lawlessness and violence at the Capitol Building last week.”
2News also reached out to Reyes' office, and Richard Piatt, a public information officer for the attorney general, said:
I do know that AG Reyes was not aware of any organization or encouraging participation in any rallies."
ENTITIES THAT DONATED TO REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION
The Republican Attorneys General Association received funding from many top companies in 2020, according to Documented, a group which dubs itself a "watchdog group that investigates how corporations [are manipulating] public policy, harming our environment, communities, and democracy."
RELATED: Petition started to remove AG Sean Reyes for joining Utah with Texas election lawsuit
That list of 235 entities includes Utah-based companies doTerra, Vivint, and 1-800-Contacts.
That list also includes these notable companies:
**See full list of 235 entities, and the amount donated by each, at the end of this story**
- 1-800-Contacts
- Aflac
- Amazon
- Anheuser-Busch
- Bank of America
- Best Buy
- CarMax
- CenturyLink
- Chevron
- Coca-Cola
- Comcast
- DoorDash
- doTerra
- Dow Jones
- EBay
- Eli Lily
- Exxon Mobil
- FedEx
- Fox
- General Motors
- Herbalife
- Home Depot
- JPMorgan Chase
- Koch Industries
- Lowe's
- Lyft
- Mastercard
- Microsoft
- MillerCoors
- Monsanto
- Monster Energy
- National Rifle Association
- Nationwide Insurance
- Oracle
- Pfizer
- State Farm
- TikTok
- T-Mobile
- Toyota
- Tyson Foods
- Uber
- University of Phoenix
- Verizon
- Visa
- Vivint
- Walmart
- Wells Fargo
- Yelp
CAPITOL VIOLENCE, ELECTION FRAUD LAWSUIT
On the day of the Capitol attack, Reyes condemned the violence, tweeting:
There is no place for violence in our political discourse, even over the most serious issues and disagreements. We are a nation of laws. This is not how Conservatives and Republicans behave. We are the party of law and order. We uphold the rule of law. This is unacceptable.— Sean Reyes (@SeanReyesUT) January 6, 2021."
Reyes isn't the only Republican attorney general connected to RAGA to deny knowing anything about the robocall. The current vice chairman of RAGA, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt denied knowing about the robocalls, issuing this statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Attorney General Schmitt absolutely had no knowledge of or involvement in the robocall, and condemns the violence that took place on Wednesday in the strongest possible terms, period."
RELATED: Hundreds of Utahns urge AG Sean Reyes to apologize for election lawsuit or step down
Reyes has been under fire since the Nov. 3, 2020 election for supporting President Donald Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, despite saying that he does not believe "all votes in the 2020 election are fraudulent."
Last month, however, Reyes took those unfounded election fraud claims to the Supreme Court by joining Utah to a Texas lawsuit which sought to overturn the 2020 election results.
The lawsuit was originally filed by Texas' attorney general, seeking to overturn the will of voters in four battleground states President-elect Joe Biden won. The suit questioned mail-in voting and whether the authority to control elections lies with state legislators or officials and courts. It also re-iterated unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 General Election.
RELATED: Supreme Court rejects lawsuit attacking Biden victory that Utah AG supported
At the time the lawsuit was filed in early Dec. 2020, Reyes said:
As I said when we joined Texas, this case is not about a single candidate or election. This case was always about who has authority over the election process, how that exercise of authority impacted the current election and how it will affect future elections."
The case, which was criticized by local leaders such as former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, was quickly thrown out by the conservative-controlled Supreme Court.
In Dec. 2020, a petition was started on Change.org to remove Reyes from office for doing so. More than 27,000 people have signed the petition, which is still active.
THE RULE OF LAW DEFENSE FUND (RLDF) AND RELUBICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION (RAGA)
The RLDF is on a list of groups supporting the "March to Save America," which led to the pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol, leaving five dead including a police officer.
That list appeared on the website MarchToSaveAmerica.com, which has since been taken down.
Web archives of the website, however, show that RAGA was listed as a "coalition partner" for the march, while the RLDF was listed as "participating in the March to Save America." Despite being listed as involved on the march's website, both RAGA and the RLDF deny any involvement in planning or organizing the march.
RAGA's involvement in organizing the event, which led to mob violence, property destruction, and death, stands in stark contrast to previous statements made by the organization recently, which includes a website that campaigns against "liberal lawlessness."
RAGA also released this anti-lawlessness YouTube video on Aug. 28 2020:
RAGA tweeted this on Oct. 1. 2020:
This week RAGA released a new digital ad, “Antifa is an Organization,” that juxtaposes @JoeBiden's words during the presidential debate with the reality that #LawlessLiberal mobs made up of Antifa supporters are burning down buildings and committing violence in America cities."
On Nov. 18, 2020, RAGA released this statement regarding the "danger of lawless liberals:"
The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA)’s five-month Lawless Liberals video campaign repeatedly warned Americans about the dangerous reality of lawless liberals run amok in cities across the country. RAGA is resurrecting the series today with a new video, 'You Were Warned,' highlighting real footage of conservatives being attacked by leftists last weekend in Washington, D.C. during the 'Million MAGA March.' Throughout its video series, RAGA has repeatedly warned that the violence being perpetrated by Democrats would continue even after the Presidential Election. The Republican attorneys general are America’s strongest defenders against the continued anarchy and lawlessness and will keep the country on a constitutional path.
You can watch “You Were Warned” here:
The statement continues:
The new ad features a reprise of Kamala Harris threatening the nation by stating that the lawless liberals will not stop their destruction of small businesses and neighborhoods and that they 'should not' stop. It also features United States Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying, 'now we take Georgia, then we change America.' If Democrats are able to win control of the United States Senate, the Republican attorneys general will be the only way to defend America from unified Democrat control in Washington, D.C."
On Jan. 6, the day of the Capitol attack, RAGA, along with Republicans Attorneys General issued this statement:
The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) and the Republican attorneys general (AGs) stand together to condemn the violence, destruction, and rampant lawlessness occurring at the U.S. Capitol today. These actions are an affront to the rule of law, our Constitution, and our American political discourse.”
After Documented's report on the robocalls, RAGA issued another statement, this one directed to the media:
Republican Attorneys General Association and Rule of Law Defense Fund had no involvement in the planning, sponsoring, or the organization of Wednesday’s event.”
Democrats were quick to push back against RAGA and RLDF statements that they had no involvement in planning the march, accusing the group of lying to media.
In a tweet, The Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), stated:
@RepublicanAGs: Are you just straight up LYING to reporters? How can you say RAGA/RLDF had no involvement in the rally turned deadly attack on the Capitol, when you were listed as a sponsor & paid for a robocall telling "patriots" to march to Capitol to "continue the fight"?
DAGA posted screenshots from the now-defunct "March to Save America" website which show RAGA listed as a "coalition partner," with the RLDF listed as "participating" in the march.
COMPANIES THAT DONATED TO THE REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION IN 2020:
- The Concord Fund/Judicial Crisis Network -- $2,748,000
- US Chamber Institute For Legal Reform -- $500,000
- Karen Wright - Ariel Corporation -- $500,000
- Thomas Rastin - Ariel Corporation -- $500,000
- Koch Industries Inc -- $375,000
- Altria Client Services -- $275,000
- Rex Sinquefield -- $250,000
- Miriam Adelson -- $250,000
- Sheldon G Adelson - Las Vegas Sands Corporation -- $250,000
- Comcast Corporation -- $200,315
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals -- $175,000
- Pfizer Inc -- $150,000
- Bernard Marcus - The Marcus Foundation -- $150,000
- Walmart Stores Inc -- $140,000
- Anthem Inc -- $130,000
- Lowes Companies Inc -- $125,375
- Awl Inc -- $125,000
- Ace Cash Express Inc -- $125,000
- Caremark Rx Inc -- $125,000
- The Anschutz Corporation -- $125,000
- Home Depot U S A Inc -- $125,000
- Atandt Services Inc -- $125,000
- Centene Management Company LLC -- $125,000
- Juul Labs Inc -- $125,000
- Match Group -- $125,000
- PhRMA -- $125,000
- LHC Group Inc -- $125,000
- Pebble Beach Company -- $111,000
- General Motors LLC -- $100,000
- The American Resort Development Association PAC -- $100,000
- Anheuser-Busch Co. Inc -- $100,000
- Amazon Com Services Inc -- $100,000
- Peter Thiel - Thiel Capital LLC -- $100,000
- Leslie Baker -- $100,000
- Ronald Cameron - Mountaire -- $100,000
- Entergy -- $100,000
- Nextera Energy Resources -- $75,000
- American Fuel And Petrochemical Manufacturers -- $75,000
- Tiktok Inc -- $75,000
- Trinity Industries Inc -- $75,000
- Community Choice Financial Inc -- $62,500
- Fears Nachawati Law Firm -- $62,500
- United Services Automobile Association -- $54,163
- 1-800 Contacts Inc -- $51,415
- American Bail Coalition Inc -- $50,615
- Valero Services Inc -- $50,350
- Chevron Policy Govt And Public Affairs -- $50,350
- Association Of Dental Support Organizations -- $50,300
- Dow Jones -- $50,000
- Eli Lily And Company -- $50,000
- Oracle Corporation -- $50,000
- Xcaliber International Ltd LLC -- $50,000
- United Refining Company -- $50,000
- Troutman Sanders Public Affairs Group LLP -- $50,000
- Affirm Inc -- $50,000
- Fresenius Medical Care -- $50,000
- Continental -- $50,000
- National Rifle Association Of America -- $50,000
- Pharmaceutical Care Management Association -- $50,000
- The Presidential Coalition LLC Non Corporate -- $50,000
- Marathon Petroleum Co LP -- $50,000
- Range Resources Corporation -- $50,000
- American Petroleum Institute -- $50,000
- Monsanto Company -- $50,000
- Alkermes -- $50,000
- HCA Management Services -- $50,000
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Of South Carolina -- $50,000
- David Nutt And Assoc Pc -- $50,000
- Fox Corporation -- $50,000
- Elevate Credit Service LLC -- $50,000
- American Property Casualty Insurers Assoc. Pac -- $50,000
- Visa -- $50,000
- Smithfield Foods Inc -- $50,000
- Facebook Inc -- $50,000
- Entertainment Software Association -- $50,000
- Astellas Pharma Us Inc -- $50,000
- Uber Technologies Inc -- $50,000
- Securus Technologies -- $50,000
- Coca-Cola North America -- $50,000
- The Travelers Indemnity Company -- $50,000
- UnitedHealth Group Inc -- $50,000
- SAS Institute Inc -- $50,000
- Starpoint Resort Group -- $50,000
- Gray C Boyden -- $50,000
- CMH Services Inc -- $50,000
- Tracfone Wireless Inc -- $50,000
- Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company -- $50,000
- Intuit Inc -- $50,000
- University Of Phoenix -- $50,000
- Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association -- $50,000
- Labaton Sucharow LLP -- $50,000
- Pennsylvania Chamber Of Business And Industry -- $50,000
- Exxon Mobil Corporation -- $50,000
- Horizon Pharma -- $50,000
- Us Money Reserve Inc -- $45,000
- Southern Company Services Inc -- $42,500
- Charter Communications -- $40,315
- Tyson Foods Inc -- $40,000
- American Gas Association -- $40,000
- SmileDirectClub -- $40,000
- Toyota Motor North America Inc -- $35,000
- American Optometric Association -- $35,000
- Ping -- $31,854
- Wine Spirits Wholesalers Of America -- $30,000
- Nelson Mullins Riley And Scarborough LLP -- $30,000
- HPUL Project Operations -- $30,000
- Baker Botts LLP -- $27,500
- Cornerstone -- $25,375
- Amgen -- $25,350
- The Vinyl Institute -- $25,350
- National Beer Wholesalers Association -- $25,350
- Consovoy Mccarthy PLLC -- $25,315
- Squire Patton Boggs LLP -- $25,125
- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company -- $25,000
- The Boeing Company Political Action Committee -- $25,000
- Surterra Holdings Inc -- $25,000
- Titlemax -- $25,000
- National Community Pharmacists Association -- $25,000
- Centerpoint Energy -- $25,000
- Adt LLC -- $25,000
- National Automobile Dealers Association -- $25,000
- Linebarger Goggan Blair And Sampson LLP -- $25,000
- Deloitte Services LP -- $25,000
- Foley And Lardner LLP -- $25,000
- Tenet Healthcare -- $25,000
- Cross River Bank -- $25,000
- Association For Accessible Medicines -- $25,000
- Legalshield -- $25,000
- Waste Management -- $25,000
- Rent-A-Center -- $25,000
- Mastercard International Inc -- $25,000
- Legalzoom Com Inc -- $25,000
- Vistra Corporate Services Company -- $25,000
- Alticor Inc -- $25,000
- Life Science Logistics -- $25,000
- Herballife International Of America Inc -- $25,000
- Global Teen Challenge -- $25,000
- Edison Electric Institute -- $25,000
- Millercoors LLC -- $25,000
- Fluor Enterprises Inc -- $25,000
- National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc -- $25,000
- Google -- $25,000
- Dentons Us LLP -- $25,000
- Recording Industry Association Of America -- $25,000
- American Electric Power Service Corporation -- $25,000
- Nucor Corporation -- $25,000
- Wells Fargo And Company -- $25,000
- GlaxoSmithKline -- $25,000
- NRG Energy Inc -- $25,000
- CenturyLink - CenturyTel Inc -- $25,000
- Enterprise Holdings Inc Pac -- $25,000
- Tc Energy -- $25,000
- American Beverage Assoc. Fund For Consumer Choice -- $25,000
- Bank Of America Corporation -- $25,000
- Aflac American Family Life Assurance -- $25,000
- Diefenthal Edward -- $25,000
- Georgia Power Company -- $25,000
- National Mining Association -- $25,000
- Ballard Hospitality -- $25,000
- Verizon -- $25,000
- Grant And Eisenhofer -- $25,000
- DoorDash -- $25,000
- Homeserve USA Corp -- $25,000
- BNSF Railway Company -- $25,000
- Graves Garrett LLC Pac -- $25,000
- Instacart -- $25,000
- Merck Sharp And Dohme Corp -- $25,000
- Vivint Solar Developer LLC -- $25,000
- Turo Inc -- $25,000
- Trugreen -- $20,000
- Mentzer Media Services Inc -- $19,508
- Aggregate Below Threshold -- $17,289
- American Council Of Life Insurers -- $16,525
- Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility -- $16,075
- Stateside Associates -- $16,040
- Distilled Spirits Council -- $15,775
- Jones Day -- $15,700
- American Association Of Orthodontists -- $15,700
- EBay Inc -- $15,425
- BGR Government Affairs LLC -- $15,375
- Orrick Herrington And Sutcliffe -- $15,375
- Yelp Inc -- $15,375
- The Internet Association -- $15,350
- Cigna Health And Life Insurance Company -- $15,350
- American Hotel And Lodging Association -- $15,350
- Americas Health Insurance Plans -- $15,350
- DTE Energy Corporation Services LLC -- $15,350
- Navient Solutions LLC -- $15,350
- Carmax Auto Superstores Inc Bz -- $15,000
- Carvana LLC -- $15,000
- Us Renal Care Inc -- $15,000
- Aca International -- $15,000
- Hallador Energy Company -- $15,000
- Revenue Group$15,000
- National Cable And Telecommunications Association -- $15,000
- Clout Public Affairs LLC -- $15,000
- Monster Energy Company -- $15,000
- Kirby Company -- $15,000
- American Tort Reform Association -- $15,000
- JPMorgan Chase And Co Pac -- $15,000
- Conns Homeplus -- $15,000
- Political Action Committee Of The AAOS -- $15,000
- Kelley Drye And Warren LLP -- $15,000
- Tiaa -- $15,000
- Barrack Rodos And Bacine -- $15,000
- Teva Pharmaceuticals -- $15,000
- Experian -- $15,000
- Southern Glazers Wine And Spirits LLC -- $15,000
- Pinnacle West Capital Corporation -- $15,000
- Western Union Financial Services Inc. -- $15,000
- Mcguirewoods Federal Pac Fund -- $15,000
- Best Buy Purchasing LC -- $15,000
- Lyft -- $15,000
- Weiss Richard -- $15,000
- Husch Blackwell LLP -- $15,000
- Pebble Limited Partnership -- $15,000
- doTerra -- $15,000
- Willoughby And Hoefer P A -- $15,000
- Daniel Defense Inc -- $15,000
- Casino Association Of Indiana -- $15,000
- Veterans United Home Loan -- $15,000
- Pomerantz LLP -- $15,000
- T-Mobile USA Inc$15,000
- Walmart Stores Inc Pac For Responsible Govt -- $15,000
- Flowers Foods Inc -- $15,000
- Microsoft Corporation -- $11,621
- Reed Smith -- $10,350
- Duke Energy -- $10,000
- Services Group Of America -- $10,000
- McCarthy Strategic Solutions LLC -- $10,000
- Haworth Inc -- $10,000
- Kendrick Randy -- $10,000
- Beam Suntory Inc -- $10,000
- FedEx -- $10,000
- Hubbard Stanley -- $10,000
