prosecutors would like the court to be reimbursed. again, none of this moneymaking is illegal. but what makes good public relations is very different than what makes good courtroom strategy. the smartest thing to do in court, which is almost always just to shut up. reporter: the gold rush goes beyond those charged. the patriot freedom project has been seeking to raise hundreds of thousands online in the name of helping defendants and their families. we need somebody to drop us $500,000 today. today, steve. because we need to have our own attorneys on these cases. reporter: and while some giggled at right-wing firebrand senator josh hawley running from the fray, he started selling coffee mugs of a different moment that day, laughing all the way to the bank. thank you for all the help with my fund-raising. it s been tremendous. we ve had little success connecting with the people in these cases for further comment. but without doubt many who were charged have lost jobs and