{"id":2392980,"date":"2025-01-20T21:28:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T02:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-announces-mass-clemency-for-nearly-all-jan-6-defendants-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-20T21:30:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T02:30:45","slug":"trump-announces-mass-clemency-for-nearly-all-jan-6-defendants-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-announces-mass-clemency-for-nearly-all-jan-6-defendants-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump announces mass clemency for nearly all Jan. 6 defendants &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-announces-mass-clemency-for-nearly-all-jan-6-defendants-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2392980&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a notable\u200c move announced from the Oval Office,\u2064 President Donald Trump declared \u200bthat he will grant pardons and commutations to approximately 1,500 individuals\u200d charged \u2064in connection with the \u200cJanuary 6 Capitol \u2064riot.This proclamation represents one of \u2064the most extensive \u2062clemency\u2064 actions in U.S. history and is seen as a stark rejection of the Justice Department\u2019s four-year investigation into the events surrounding the\u2062 Capitol attack. the pardons will extend to nonviolent offenders as \u2064well as those involved in more \u2064violent acts, including property destruction and assaults on law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Trump characterized the treatment of these individuals by\u2062 the judicial \u200bsystem as &#8220;very \u200bunfair,&#8221; arguing that they have suffered significantly during their incarceration.\u2064 The\u200c announcement comes in the context of \u200dprior convictions \u200dof many of the defendants, which include serious offenses\u200b resulting in injuries to law enforcement\u200d personnel. Concerns have been\u2063 voiced by relatives of \u2062victims of the riot, including Officer \u2062Brian Sicknick, highlighting the impact of pardoning those involved in the violent events of\u200d January 6. The \u200cannouncement has ignited \u2064considerable debate regarding \u2062justice and accountability in\u200c relation to\u200d the attack on the Capitol.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump announces mass clemency for nearly all Jan. 6 defendants<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1929741\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> announced from the Oval Office on Monday that he was granting pardons and commutations to about 1,500 defendants charged over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/january-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Jan. 6<\/a> Capitol riot, marking one of the most expansive clemency announcements in history.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/granting-pardons-and-commutati%5B%E2%80%A6%5Dnts-at-or-near-the-united-states-capitol-on-january-6-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"pardons and commutations\">pardons and commutations<\/a> for the defendants, a stunning repudiation of the Justice Department&rsquo;s wide-ranging four-year investigation into the Capitol attack, extended to nonviolent rioters, including those who damaged and stole property, and those who engaged in violence.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/live-blog\/donald-trump-inauguration-day-white-house-washington-dc\/\"><strong>INAUGURATION DAY LIVE UPDATES: DONALD TRUMP RETURNS TO THE WHITE HOUSE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been treated very unfair,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal,&rdquo; Trump announced to reporters as part of his day one executive actions.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said the violent defendants, who had stormed restricted areas of the Capitol in protest of the 2020 election results, had &ldquo;been in jail for a long time already.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These people have been destroyed,&rdquo; Trump said. <\/p>\n<p>At least 1,583 people faced charges over the Capitol attack and the Department of Justice secured guilty pleas or convictions for at least 1,230 of them, according to federal data. About 200 pleaded guilty to felonies that included assaulting police officers or using a deadly weapon against law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>A Senate report found that during the riot, some officers suffered brain injuries, cracked ribs, and chemical burns. One officer lost an eye, while another was stabbed.<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of other defendants faced charges of stealing or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutors-push-4-year-prison-sentence-for-qanon-shaman\/\" title=\"Prosecutors Push 4-Year Prison Sentence For \u2018QAnon Shaman\u2019\">destroying government property<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ secured 10 convictions on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/which-jan-6-defendants-could-see-pardons-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Which Jan. 6 defendants could see pardons? - Washington Examiner\">rare seditious conspiracy charges<\/a>, and those defendants, who are mostly members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups, are all <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">serving yearslong prison sentences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was sprayed during the riot with a chemical irritant, suffered multiple strokes in the aftermath of the incident and died the day after it. Washington&rsquo;s chief medical examiner said Sicknick died of natural causes but also told the <em>Washington Post<\/em> the riot had a role in his death. Sicknick&rsquo;s brother joined more than 100,000 people in signing a petition opposing the pardons.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My brother was just 42 years old. Nothing will erase the events from that day or bring Brian back. But pardoning the insurrectionists is a blow to every single person who cares about fairness, justice, and freedom,&rdquo; Craig Sicknick said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s announcement meant he made good on his repeated promises during his campaign to carry out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-goes-back-to-drawing-board-for-attorney-general-after-gaetz-withdrawal-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump goes back to drawing board for attorney general after Gaetz withdrawal - Washington Examiner\">large-scale pardon operation<\/a> at the start of his presidency for the defendants, whom he frequently described as &ldquo;hostages.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats and some Republicans have criticized Trump&rsquo;s use of the term, calling it offensive. Former Vice President Mike Pence <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AGsv1Ok8K3o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> last year it was &ldquo;unacceptable&rdquo; to describe &ldquo;people that are moving through our justice system&rdquo; as hostages.<\/p>\n<p>Defense attorneys and the defendants themselves had been anxiously awaiting Trump&rsquo;s announcements, as the president remained vague about his plans through Inauguration Day, only saying he would grant clemency to a &ldquo;large portion&rdquo; of the defendants. His spokeswoman had maintained that the pardons would be granted on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous defendants still in the court process had asked judges in recent weeks to pause their proceedings, citing their expectation that they would be recipients of Trump&rsquo;s pardons. Meanwhile, others have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3276112\/jan-6-defendants-rally-pardons-anniversary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">urging<\/a> Trump to grant pardons to all defendants, arguing the DOJ&rsquo;s entire four-year prosecution of them was tainted by politics.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel Powell of Pennsylvania was sentenced to nearly five years in prison last year after she was found guilty of assaulting officers and taking an ice axe to a window of the Capitol. Powell&rsquo;s three daughters recently told CNN that they were certain Trump would pardon her. It is unclear at this stage if Powell is a recipient of one of the pardons.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He will keep to what he said,&rdquo; one of the daughters said. &ldquo;He will keep his word. He is going to pardon her.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/live-blog\/donald-trump-inauguration-day-white-house-washington-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">INAUGURATION DAY LIVE UPDATES: DONALD TRUMP TO BE SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s pardons will terminate all proceedings against defendants still in the court process and restore civil rights, such as the ability to vote, for those who lost them as a result of their convictions. <\/p>\n<p>Former U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves of Washington, D.C., who led the prosecutions, addressed Trump&rsquo;s  anticipated pardons in a recent television <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/01\/17\/politics\/video\/us-attorney-matthew-graves-against-january-6-rioters-pardons-perez-intv-cnc-digvid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">interview<\/a>, indicating he took solace in the fact that the pardons would not erase defendants&rsquo; records.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A pardon does not wipe away what occurred,&rdquo; Graves said. &ldquo;There will always be a record of what occurred. There will always be vindication of rule of law, and there&rsquo;s been substantial accountability for hundreds of people involved in illegal conduct that day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>This story is developing.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1929741\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1929741\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump grants clemency to nearly all Jan. 6 defendants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2392981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP21238576223188.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[22725,21072,36978,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2392980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-clemency","tag-defendants","tag-january-6","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP21238576223188.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2392980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2392984,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392980\/revisions\/2392984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2392981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2392980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2392980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2392980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}