The website notes that employees at Event Strategies “largely managed and staffed the 130-person operations team for Donald Trump and Mike Pence” in 2016. It also says that in 2015, Mr. Unes “produced Donald Trump’s campaign announcement tour and helped the campaign establish its operations division and standards.”
Mr. Unes also has longstanding ties to the Dole family. In 1996, he served as tour director for the senator’s presidential campaign, traveling with the candidate around the country.
Planning for memorial events for a political leader like Mr. Dole typically takes place over years and involves scores of people. When someone lies in state in the Capitol, the events in the building are coordinated by the office of the House speaker, in this case Representative Nancy Pelosi of California.
A person familiar with the planning to honor Mr. Dole in the Capitol said that Mr. Unes had not been at practice walk-through sessions in the building in recent days.
Understand the Claim of Executive Privilege in the Jan. 6. Inquiry
Card 1 of 8A key issue yet untested. Donald Trump’s power as former president to keep information from his White House secret has become a central issue in the House’s investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Amid an attempt by Mr. Trump to keep personal records secret and the indictment of Stephen K. Bannon for contempt of Congress, here’s a breakdown of executive privilege:
What is executive privilege? It is a power claimed by presidents under the Constitution to prevent the other two branches of government from gaining access to certain internal executive branch information, especially confidential communications involving the president or among his top aides.
What is Trump’s claim? Former President Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the disclosure of White House files related to his actions and communications surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He argues that these matters must remain a secret as a matter of executive privilege.
Is Trump’s privilege claim valid? The constitutional line between a president’s secrecy powers and Congress’s investigative authority is hazy. Though a judge rejected Mr. Trump’s bid to keep his papers secret, it is likely that the case will ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court.
Is executive privilege an absolute power? No. Even a legitimate claim of executive privilege may not always prevail in court. During the Watergate scandal in 1974, the Supreme Court upheld an order requiring President Richard M. Nixon to turn over his Oval Office tapes.
May ex-presidents invoke executive privilege? Yes, but courts may view their claims with less deference than those of current presidents. In 1977, the Supreme Court said Nixon could make a claim of executive privilege even though he was out of office, though the court ultimately ruled against him in the case.
Is Steve Bannon covered by executive privilege? This is unclear. Mr. Bannon’s case could raise the novel legal question of whether or how far a claim of executive privilege may extend to communications between a president and an informal adviser outside of the government.
What is contempt of Congress? It is a sanction imposed on people who defy congressional subpoenas. Congress can refer contempt citations to the Justice Department and ask for criminal charges. Mr. Bannon has been indicted on contempt charges for refusing to comply with a subpoena that seeks documents and testimony.
In a Sept. 29 letter to Mr. Unes, the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack wrote that paperwork filed for the rally permit listed him as the “stage manager” for the event.
“The investigation has revealed credible evidence of your involvement in events within the scope of the select committee’s inquiry,” the committee said. “According to documents provided to the select committee, press reports, and statements by Women for America First (WFAF), you assisted in organizing the rally held on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, in support of then-President Trump and his allegations of election fraud.”
The letter indicated the committee’s demand that Mr. Unes deliver documents by Oct. 13 and appear for a deposition on Oct. 25.