Jenny Cudd, a flower shop owner in Midland, Texas, initially faced two misdemeanor charges — entering a restricted building and violent or disorderly behavior — later allegedly posting a societal media video where she boasted about engaging in the month’s Capitol riot, according to the FBI affidavit.
She had been released on a personal recognizance bond on Jan. 21, under conditions that need any travel outside the continental United States be approved by the court.
On Monday, her lawyer asked just that. As mentioned in the filed movement, before her alleged involvement in the siege on the Capitol, Cudd had”prepaid and planned for a weekend retreat with her employees” from the Riviera Maya from Feb. 18 to 21.
“That is a work-related bonding escape for employees and their spouses,” her attorney, Farheena Siddiqui, wrote.
In support of this request, Siddiqui noted that Cudd has no criminal background, is a U.S. taxpayer, has stayed in”continuous contact” with her attorney and, being ordered, is connected pretrial probation services.
According to the motion, Cudd’s pretrial services officer does not have any objection to the traveling request, and the prosecutor advised the government”takes no position” on it.
DC District Court Judge Trevor McFadden accepted the petition on Friday, noting at the order that Cudd has no criminal background and does not seem to be a flight risk or threat to others. She’s needed to give her trip itinerary to her pretrial services officer.
Since the motion’s filing, Cudd was indicted Wednesday on more serious charges, such as obstruction of a formal proceeding — a felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and substantial fines if convicted. She faces five total costs.
Included in the conditions of her release, Cudd can also be ordered to”stay away” from Washington, D.C., except for matters pertaining to her case, and has to notify the Pretrial Services Agency of any travel outside of her home state of Texas. She was also ordered to surrender any passport into the agency and never to acquire a passport or any other international travel document.
ABC News had reached out to her attorney for comment after filing the movement but did not receive a response.
Cudd, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Midland at 2019, is an”based member of her community,” the motion said.
Authorities identified her in a photograph posing in the Capitol building on Jan. 6. She also made announcements in a since-removed Facebook livestream”indicating her admission of entering the U.S. Capitol,” that the FBI affidavit stated, including allegedly being a part of the crowd that stormed the Capitol and broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.
According to the affidavit, Cudd said in the video,”We did split down Nancy Pelosi’s office and somebody stole her gavel and took a picture sitting in the seat flipping off the camera.”
“I am proud of my actions, I —– charged the Capitol now with patriots today. Hell yes, I am proud of my actions,” Cudd allegedly said.
According to the affidavit, Cudd went into the Capitol after attending former President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 “rescue America Rally,” held near the White House as Congress assembled to certify the election President Joe Biden.
The affidavit also referenced a Jan. 8 interview Cudd gave into some local news channel, where she reportedly said,”We the patriots did storm the U.S. Capitol… Yes, I would surely do it again.”
