These Trump supporters received $227,000 in PPP funds — then vandalized the Capitol
A mob of angry Trump supporters stormed the U.S Capitol on January 6 with a litany of grievances against the U.S. government. But those grievances didn't stop many from benefiting from government-run loan programs designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Daily Beast, business owners who participated in the Capitol riots collected more than $227.000, in total, from three pandemic relief fund efforts: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), or Disaster Assistance Loans. The report also includes a list of disaster loan recipients and the amounts they were awarded for their businesses based on data from the Project on Government Oversight's COVID Tracker.
The list is as follows
- Brandon Straka, who is facing at least nine charges in connection with the CPaitol riots, was personally awarded $20,800 in PPP funding and also received an additional $12,354 in PPP funds for the WalkAway Foundation.
- Roberto Minuta, the owner of Dasa Di Dolore Tattoo Parlor, received $12,200 in Disaster Assistance loans and $1,000 in EIDL payments.
- Troy Ebert Faulkner, the owner of Faulkner Painting received $5,000 in EIDL payments.
- Edward Hemenway received $1,000 in EIDL money. However, his occupation is listed as "unknown."
- Dominic Pezzola, a member of the far-right group The Proud Boys currently facing 11 charges in connection with the Capitol insurrection, received a total of $12,502 for his company, D. Pezzola Flooring.
- Julian Elie Khater former co-owner of the smoothie franchise Frutta Bowls, received $10,000 in PPP funding.
- Scott Kevin Fairlamb, the owner of Fairlamb Fitness who is facing charges for allegedly assaulting a police officer, reportedly received $53,300 Disaster Assistance loan and a $1,000 direct EIDL payment.
- Paul Westover, founder and president of the St. Louis-based tech company Search Ingenuity.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are continuing to investigate the U.S. Capitol insurrection.
