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North Texas Realtor Jenna Ryan, Arrested For Alleged Role In Capitol Riot, Kicked Off PayPal

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/CBS NEWS) - North Texas realtor Jenna Ryan, who traveled on a private plane to the January 6 Trump rally and later, the Capitol riot, was kicked off PayPal Thursday evening, Jan. 21, after attempting to solicit donations for "legal fees and losses."

Ryan, who was arrested last Friday, Jan. 15, asked her Twitter followers for help Thursday afternoon, sharing a link to a PayPal account where supporters could offer a donation.

Jenna-Ryan-1
Jenna Ryan (courtesy: Twitter)

In a tweet, Ryan said, "I am accepting donations to pay legal fees and losses due to my arrest and charges by the FBI" and later claimed she had raised $1,000.

By Thursday evening, PayPal had closed the account, according to Kim Eichorn, a PayPal spokesperson.

"PayPal has a policy to allow fundraising for legal defense purposes," Eichorn said in an email to CBS News. "PayPal thoroughly reviews accounts, and if we learn that funds are used for anything other than legal defense, the account will be subject to immediate closure. We can confirm that the account in question has been closed."

Ryan turned herself in to the FBI last Friday and was charged with "disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds" and "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority."

Jenna Ryan
Jenna Ryan (CBS 11)

She was released a short time later and told CBS 11 during an interview outside her home, she thought she and everyone at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, deserved a pardon from President Donald Trump.

That did not happen.

"I have to go to trial in Washington D.C. for this misdemeanor," Ryan said on Twitter Thursday, prior to PayPal closing her account. "I believe I was wrongfully arrested and charged and we have to fight for my freedom and and decl [sic] my name."

After her PayPal account was closed, Ryan tweeted, "I've been doing transaction was with PayPal for 20 years. And they canceled me because I raised $200 today. The New World order is trying to intimidate me. Thank God I have Jesus on my side. Power of God to move mountains"

A short time later, she tweeted, "Take a secret? I really don't need the donations. I was just giving people the opportunity to contribute and be blessed by their giving. Whoever donates to me is going to be blessed beyond measure."

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