Trump Issues Sweeping Pardons for January 6 Capitol Attack Defendants
In one of his first official acts upon returning to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping clemency order, pardoning around 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, Al Jazeera reports.
The move marks a dramatic reversal of the legal proceedings and punishments levied against those who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The president’s action, which includes pardons for those convicted and commutations of sentences for others, was announced Monday. Trump declared in a statement posted on the White House website that the pardons “end a grave national injustice” and “begin a process of national reconciliation.”
The pardons extend to individuals convicted of serious offenses, such as seditious conspiracy, including Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, who had been sentenced to 22 years in prison. The move also expunges the criminal records of more than 700 individuals convicted of misdemeanor charges like trespassing, and halts hundreds of pending prosecutions.
Among those receiving commuted sentences is Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, who had been sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy, obstruction, and document tampering.
When questioned about the punishment of those who assaulted law enforcement officers during the Capitol attack, President Trump stated they had already spent considerable time in prison. He asserted that their treatment was “outrageous” compared to the leniency afforded to those convicted of other violent crimes.
Although President Trump had frequently pledged to pardon January 6 defendants during his re-election campaign, the full scope of his clemency was not clear until today. Prior to the announcement, Vice President JD Vance had indicated that only those who protested “peacefully” on January 6 should receive pardons.
The president’s sweeping pardons have drawn immediate criticism from Democrats and other opponents. A total of 1,583 individuals were charged in the January 6 incident, in which a mob of Trump supporters attempted to disrupt a joint session of Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. According to US prosecutors, the riots resulted in over 140 police officers being injured and approximately $2.8 million in economic losses
More than 1,200 people were convicted, including approximately 250 on assault charges. Over 700 individuals had been sentenced to prison.
President Trump himself had previously faced charges regarding his alleged role in the January 6 events, but the US Justice Department dismissed the case in November, citing a longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
