Julie Fancelli

Fancelli is one of seven children of George W. Jenkins, the founder of the Publix supermarket chain, and Anne MacGregor.{{Cite news|date=1996-04-10|title=George Jenkins, 88, Founder Of $9 Billion Grocery Chain|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/10/us/george-jenkins-88-founder-of-9-billion-grocery-chain.html|access-date=2021-12-11|issn=0362-4331}} She attended the Mount Vernon Seminary in Washington and the University of Florida in Gainesville.{{Cite news|date=1972-12-31|title=Mauro Fancelli Weds Julie Ansley Jenkins|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/31/archives/mauro-fancelli-weds-julie-ansley-jenkins.html|access-date=2021-12-11|issn=0362-4331}}

Until 2017, Fancelli owned Alma Food Imports, Inc., a company that sold millions of dollars worth of products to Publix, including $1.7 million in 1996.{{Cite web|last=Iannelli|first=Jerry|title=Publix Heiress Dumped $171,100 Into a Pro-Trump PAC in 2019|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/publix-political-contributions-heir-julie-jenkins-fancelli-donates-to-trump-victory-pac-11489244|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Miami New Times|language=en}} Publix stopped using Alma as a vendor after Fancelli's departure.

From at least the late 1980s, Fancelli owned two Italian restaurants in Florida. She co-owns a private golf club in Lakeland with her relatives.

Since the beginning of the century, Fancelli donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and party organizations.

In 2017, Fancelli met with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to express her concern that the Republican Party had not done enough to help Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Fancelli increased her donations after the election of Donald Trump. Many of her donations were associated with Caroline Wren, a Trump fundraiser closely associated with the 2021 United States Capitol attack, and Kimberly Guilfoyle; after a call directly from Guilfoyle in July 2020, Fancelli donated $250,000 to the Trump campaign. During the 2020 election cycle, Fancelli ultimately donated more than $980,000 to a joint account serving the Trump presidential campaign and the Republican National Party. After the election, LJ Management Services Inc., a company closely linked to Fancelli's family foundation, gave a further $800,000 to a new PAC formed by two of Trump's closest aides.

In July 2020, Fancelli gave $1,000 to a candidate for mayor of Lakeland, who thanked One America News for "correctly" referring to Trump as the president after President Biden was inaugurated. In September 2020, she gave $5,800 to Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, one of 21 House Republicans who opposed awarding the congressional gold medal to police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

In total, Fancelli donated more than $2.5 million to political causes in 2020, with most or all of it going to right-wing and far-right candidates and causes.{{Cite web |title=Publix Heiress Gave About $2.5M to Republican Groups Last Year |url=https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2021/02/02/julie-jenkins-fancelli |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=www.mynews13.com |language=en}}

{{Broader|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}

On December 29, 2020, Fancelli donated $150,000 to the nonprofit arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association, the Rule of Law Defense Fund.{{Cite news|title=Publix heiress, funder of Jan. 6 rally, gave $150,000 to GOP attorneys general association|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/publix-heiress-capitol-riot-wren/2021/10/16/34b7d55a-2481-11ec-a6ad-9ee7deda7f34_story.html|access-date=2021-12-11|issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web|date=2021-12-09|title=Publix heiress faces criticism for helping finance 6 January rally|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/09/publix-heiress-julie-fancelli-6-january-rally-financing|access-date=2021-12-11|website=The Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Reinhard|first1=Beth|last2=Alemany|first2=Jacqueline|last3=Post|first3=Josh Dawsey |date=December 9, 2021|title=Heiress in spotlight over Jan. 6 funding|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/09/nation/heiress-spotlight-over-jan-6-funding/|access-date=2021-12-11|newspaper=The Boston Globe.com|language=en-US}} That money was subsequently used to pay for robocalls promoting the "Stop the Steal" rally at the Ellipse on January 6.

Working in association with Alex Jones, the far-right American radio host, on December 29, 2020, Fancelli donated $300,000 to Women for America First to organize a "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6.{{Cite news|last1=Rutenberg|first1=Jim|last2=Becker|first2=Jo|last3=Lipton|first3=Eric|last4=Haberman|first4=Maggie|last5=Martin|first5=Jonathan|last6=Rosenberg|first6=Matthew|last7=Schmidt|first7=Michael S.|date=2021-01-31|title=77 Days: Trump's Campaign to Subvert the Election|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/31/us/trump-election-lie.html|access-date=2021-12-11|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|title=Publix heiress paid for Trump rally preceding Capitol riots, WSJ reports|language=en|work=Tampa Bay Times|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/01/30/publix-heiress-paid-for-trump-rally-preceding-capitol-riots-wsj-reports/|access-date=2021-12-11}}{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Howard|date=January 31, 2020|title=Publix says heiress's Trump donations don't reflect its values. Boycotts suggested anyway|website=Miami Herald|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article248892029.html|access-date=August 31, 2023}} Fancelli, who was reportedly a "regular listener" of Jones's show, had an assistant call Jones to discuss possible ways to undermine president-elect Joe Biden's victory, and Fancelli and Jones spoke directly at least once between December 27, 2020, and January 1, 2021. Fancelli selected Caroline Wren, a Trump fundraiser, to organize the event; this was done in through Women for America First, the organization that obtained the permit for the January 6 rally at The Ellipse, while Wren was officially listed as a "VIP Advisor" on event permits. The event itself featured speeches by then-President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Madison Cawthorn and others, and directly preceded the attack on the United States Capitol building.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-05|title=Here's What We Know About the Pro-Trump Rallies That Have Permits {{!}} Washingtonian (DC)|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/01/05/heres-what-we-know-about-the-pro-trump-rallies-that-have-permits/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Washingtonian|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Forgey|first=Quint|title='I'm going to be in your backyard': Trump sons threaten primaries for GOP lawmakers|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/trump-threat-primaries-gop-lawmakers-455366|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Politico|language=en}} The Wall Street Journal described Fancelli's donation as the "lion's share" of the funding behind the "Stop the Steal" rally, while Axios observed "It's getting harder to see how Jan. 6 would have happened without Fancelli's money."{{Cite web|last=Weber|first=Natalie|title=Publix heiress paid for Trump rally preceding Capitol riots, WSJ reports|url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/30/report-publix-heiress-paid-trump-rally-preceding-capitol-riots/4323508001/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=The Ledger|language=en-US}} {{Cite web|last=Montgomery|first=Ben|date=November 22, 2021|title=Publix heiress' insurrection troubles|url=https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2021/11/22/publix-heiress-insurrection-troubles|website=Axios}} Fancelli is the largest donor to the event whose identity is publicly known.

On December 29, 2020, Fancelli also donated $200,000 to the Tea Party Express, which used the money for advertisements on radio and social media urging supporters of President Donald Trump to attend the rally and subsequent march.

As of December 2021, Fancelli's donations to events associated with the 2021 United States Capitol attack were revealed to be at least $650,000; the Congressional January 6 commission is still conducting further investigations.{{Cite web|last=Panetta|first=Grace|title=A 72-year-old Publix heiress 'addicted' to Alex Jones and Infowars is under scrutiny for funding groups behind Jan. 6, report says|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/publix-heiress-gave-650000-groups-behind-jan-6-rallies-report-2021-12|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}} Fancelli had reportedly planned to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally herself and had booked a room at the Willard hotel, but decided not to travel due to fears about the pandemic.

On December 8, 2021, The Washington Post reported that Publix had issued a statement saying: "We are deeply troubled by Ms. Fancelli's involvement in the events that led to the tragic attack on the Capitol on January 6."{{Cite web|title=A 72-year-old Publix heiress 'addicted' to Alex Jones and Infowars is under scrutiny for funding groups behind Jan. 6, report says|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/72-old-publix-heiress-addicted-211524994.html|access-date=2021-12-11|website=uk.news.yahoo.com|language=en-GB}} On January 31, 2021, Fancelli issued the following statement: "I am a proud conservative and have real concerns associated with election integrity, yet I would never support any violence, particularly the tragic and horrific events that unfolded on January 6."

Fancelli's family, including her six siblings, was ranked by Forbes as the 39th richest family in the United States, with an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion. Fancelli is not currently involved with Publix's business operations.

On December 31, 1972, Fancelli (then Julie Ansley Jenkins) married Mauro Adolfo Dino Fancelli, of Florence, Italy, in Lakeland, Florida; she met Mr. Fancelli while studying abroad.

Fancelli maintains homes in Lakeland and Longboat Key, Florida; and Florence, her primary residence. Fancelli is the president of the George Jenkins Foundation; in 2020, the foundation reported net assets of $27.7 million, and gave more than $3.3 million to charities that provide education, health care and social services to poor children and the elderly. Fancelli has also been praised for her commitment to the elderly.{{Cite web|last=White|first=Gary|title=Publix heiress and philanthropist Carol Jenkins Barnett dies from Alzheimer's at 65|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/12/08/publix-heiress-carol-jenkins-barnett-dies-65/6438244001/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Philanthropist, Publix heiress Carol Jenkins Barnett dies at 65|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/12/08/philanthropist-publix-heiress-carol-jenkins-barnett-dies-at-65/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en}}

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Category:20th-century births

Category:Year of birth uncertain

Category:Living people

Category:American political activists

Category:American businesspeople

Category:American expatriates in Italy

Category:American women in politics

Category:People associated with the January 6 United States Capitol attack