Event organizer working on Bob Dole’s memorial arrangements removed for alleged ties to Jan. 6
The casket of Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on December 9, 2021. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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(NEXSTAR) – An event organizer helping with the memorial events for late Senator Bob Dole has been relieved of his duties due to his alleged involvement in the events surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has confirmed.
Tim Unes, who had previously worked for Dole during the senator’s 1996 presidential bid, was terminated on Wednesday.
“Tim Unes served as an advance staffer for the late Senator Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign,” said Steven Schwab, Dole family spokesperson and CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, in a statement shared with Nexstar.
“Along with a large network of former staff, Mr. Unes volunteered his time to serve on the advance team for this week’s memorial events honoring Senator Dole. Yesterday, I made Senator Elizabeth Dole aware of Mr. Unes’ alleged involvement in the events of January 6, 2021. Senator Dole was previously unaware of his participation and terminated his volunteer role.”
Unes, currently the president of an event-planning company called Event Strategies, Inc., was one of 11 event planners and rally organizers subpoenaed in late September by the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee, Reuters reported at the time. Specifically, the Select Committee was investigating Unes’ alleged involvement as the “Stage Manager” of a rally held on the Ellipse just south of the White House, where then-President Trump spoke to supporters on Jan. 6 shortly before the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
As described on his company’s website, Unes also “produced Donald Trump’s campaign announcement tour and helped the campaign establish its operations division and standards” in 2015, before ultimately joining the campaign in 2016. “While there, he worked on Trump events and developed and ran Governor Mike Pence’s advance operation,” the website reads.
Unes’ specific role or duties in the memorial services for Sen. Dole was not disclosed by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
Sen. Dole, who died Sunday at the age of 98, is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Thursday.
