May 24, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court blocks Jan. 6 panel from accessing RNC fundraising data

Jacob Knutson

Members of the Jan. 6 select committee during a meeting in March 2022. — Members of the Jan. 6 select committee during a meeting in March. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot from receiving the Republican National Committee's (RNC) fundraising records leading up to the day of the attack, court documents show.

Why it matters: The select committee subpoenaed Salesforce, the customer relationship management software provider, and the RNC as part of its efforts to determine if the party's fundraising efforts after the 2020 election contributed to the attack.

From the data, the select committee in part seeks to learn who was crafting and sending emails and how they impacted supporters who read them.

What they're saying: “The purpose of this administrative injunction is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for an injunction pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion,” the three judges, who were appointed by former President Trump, said in an injunction Tuesday.

The big picture: The temporary injunction prohibits Salesforce from turning over email and fundraising data on RNC's fundraising to the committee while the panel considers an emergency motion from the RNC.

Salesforce would have had to turn over the data on Wednesday if the injunction had not been issued.
The RNC previously tried and failed to sue Salesforce to prevent the transfer. It claimed that its and the Trump campaign’s information was protected by the First Amendment and other grounds.
The RNC also sued the select committee in March to prevent its subpoena on Salesforce.

Go deeper: Bill Barr in discussions to cooperate with Jan. 6 committee

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Appeals court blocks Jan. 6 panel from accessing RNC fundraising data

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