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Who is Jenna Ryan? Texas real estate broker and life coach who flew in private jet for Capitol riot is charged

The Texan realtor is the owner of 'Jenna Ryan Realty' and a conservative talk show host

The Frisco, Texas real estate broker who stormed the Capitol on January 6 after flying in on a private jet is being charged. Jennifer "Jenna" Leigh Ryan, 50, has been charged with “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and “disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” according to the federal criminal complaint filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia on January 15.

Federal prosecutors are using Ryan's own words in now-deleted online videos and photographs to charge her. A statement from FBI special agent Amie C Stemen detailed the photos and videos Ryan shared on social media, including a video in which she says, “We’re gonna go down and storm the Capitol,” in front of a bathroom mirror. Stemen also noted that Ryan live-streamed a 21-minute Facebook video of her and a group walking towards the Capitol. 

Others posted her tweets and videos, tagging the FBI or the DC Police Department asking for help identifying the rioters, like this one which said: "Here is a local Frisco, TX resident, celebrating yesterday’s Insurrection as one of the best days of her life, after storming the Capitol! Her name is Jenna Ryan! Her Twitter handle is in the pictures below!" and another who posted her video with the caption: "Meet Jenna Ryan, who taped her plans".

In one video, she had said: “We are going to [expletive] go in here” outside the Capitol and “life or death, it doesn’t matter.” She had also bragged about her realtor job, saying, just before entering: “Y’all know who to hire for your realtor – Jenna Ryan for your realtor.” The court papers stated that Ryan had posted a plethora of evidence online showing her boarding a plane bound for DC and a video of her on the Capitol grounds. After the riot, Ryan posted a separate video on Twitter confessing to her role in the siege, in which she said: “We just stormed the Capital [sic]. It was one of the best days of my life”, according to the court papers. The image was retweeted by a Twitter user and can be viewed below. 

There is also security footage of her being part of the mob that stormed the Capitol, according to the court papers. A week after she participated in the riots, Ryan released a public statement on Facebook and Twitter, which said: "I was invited to go to Washington D.C. by a friend to witness the march. Unfortunately, what I believed to be a peaceful political march turned into a violent protest. I do not condone the violence that occurred on January 6, 2020 and I am truly heartbroken for the people who have lost their lives”.

Who is Jenna Ryan?

Ryan is the owner of 'Jenna Ryan Realty' and a conservative talk show host. She has taught social media classes to other real estate agents and hosted a radio show on KFXR 1190 AM, a local commercial radio station owned by iHeartMedia. She is also a life coach, but a publisher has canceled her self-help book that was scheduled to be released in February 2021. She tweeted the news with the words, "All my haters will be THRILLED to know that my publisher cancelled my Self Help book that was due to be released in February 2021. I guess my name would not have fit at Target, Barnes & Noble and major outlets."

Ryan has claimed her real estate company is “very successful,” telling CandysDirt.com, a Dallas-based real estate news site, that she only works 15 hours a week and still sells plenty of homes. She spoke to a local news channel saying she was interested in running for office under a new party that she is going to help create — the “Patriot Party.” In the interview video, she said: “We are going to create a new party, and we are not down with RINOS or Republicans,” she said. “I will never again vote for another Republican. I will vote for the Patriot party from now on, and I will campaign, and I will run for office.” She also said, “if anyone out there knows how to set me up in this way, let me know because I’m ready to serve my country and bind against people that are trying to ruin this country.”

What happens now to Jenna Ryan? 

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and National Association of Realtors (NAR) have condemned the violence, but haven’t taken action against Ryan or others. According to the TREC website FAQ on licensed agents convicted of crimes, the Commission does have the authority to suspend or revoke a license holder that has entered a plea of guilty, or no contest, or has been convicted of a felony or any criminal offense that involves fraud, including misdemeanors. 

Therefore, not only will she be jailed or fined if the charges against her are proven, but she might also lose her license to be a real estate agent. The real estate broker has received severe backlash for her role in the riots, including a sign advertising her real estate business being vandalized to demand that her licenses be revoked. Ryan also has a license under the name of “Jennifer Rodgers” under which she can do business. 

It's not yet clear, however, if Ryan has been arrested in connection with the complaint about her being part of the mob that stormed the Capitol. Another North Texan, 53-year-old Larry Brock, of Grapevine, faces similar charges after he was photographed on the Senate floor wearing armor, a helmet, and holding zip ties.