January 6 organizer demanded aides buy burner phones with cash to talk with Trump officials: report

Organizers of the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally reportedly used "burner phones" purchased with cash to communicate with former president Donald Trump's team — including his son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump, chief of staff Mark Meadows, and campaign consultant Katrina Pierson.

"Kylie Kremer, a top official in the 'March for Trump' group that helped plan the Ellipse rally, directed an aide to pick up three burner phones days before Jan. 6, according to three sources who were involved in the event," Rolling Stone reported Tuesday night. "One of the sources, a member of the 'March for Trump' team, says Kremer insisted the phones be purchased using cash and described this as being 'of the utmost importance.'"

While Kremer used one of the phones to communicate with Trump's team, another was given to her mother, Amy Kremer, who was also a key organizer of the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the Capitol insurrection, according to the magazine. It is unclear who received the third phone. The three sources told Rolling Stone that "some of the most crucial planning conversations between top rally organizers and Trump's inner circle took place on those burner phones."

"That was when the planning for the event on the Ellipse was happening, she needed burner phones in order to communicate with high level people is how she put it," the March For Trump team member said of Kylie Kremer. "They were planning all kinds of stuff, marches and rallies. Any conversation she had with the White House or Trump family took place on those phones."

Kylie Kremer reportedly directed an aide to purchase the phones in Palm Springs, California, one week before the Jan. 6 rally. In addition to the nationwide "March for Trump" bus tour that culminated in the "Stop the Steal" rally, the Kremers led "Women for America First," which obtained the permit for the Jan. 6 event.

"Burner phones — cheap, prepaid cells designed for temporary usage — do not require users to have an account. This makes them hard to trace and ideal for those who are seeking anonymity — particularly if they are purchased with cash," Rolling Stone reported. "The use of burner phones could make it more difficult for congressional investigators to find evidence of coordination between Trump's team and rally planners."

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