Trump’s January 6 Pardons FAQ
Short Read:
President Trump issued an executive order pardoning or commuting the sentences for over 1,500 people charged in the January 6 insurrection. Of the 1,300 who pleaded guilty, two-thirds were for misdemeanors and one-third for felonies. Only a small number of those who were pardoned were still serving sentences.
Those still incarcerated were primarily people who were convicted of violent attacks on police officers. The leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers had their sentences commuted.
The primary result of the pardons for felonies was the expungement of their convictions, which restores their right to rearm.
UPDATE:
Trump said he would consider turning his commutations into full pardons for the violent extremists convicted of seditious conspiracy. One of them, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, visited the Capitol on Wednesday in pursuit of a full pardon and restoration of veteran disability benefits. Another, former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio, said prosecutors should be imprisoned, quoting a Trump campaign slogan, “Success is going to be retribution.”
Q) Who was injured on Jan 6?
- Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted on January 6 at the Capitol, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Q) How many people participated and were charged in the January 6 insurrection?
The FBI has estimated that about 2,000 people participated in the insurrection.
Through January 2025,
- 1,575 had been arrested.
- 1,300 had pleaded guilty, (about 2/3 to simple misdemeanors and about 1/3 to felonies)
- 1,121 were sentenced.
- 64 spent time in prison with a median sentence of 240 days.
- Among the 1,009 defendants who pleaded guilty,
- 327 pleaded to felony charges (32 percent) while
- 682 pleaded to misdemeanor offenses (68 percent).
Criminal charges:
- More than 284 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including approximately 99 individuals who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
- Approximately 11 individuals have been arrested on a series of charges that relate to assaulting a member of the media, or destroying their equipment, on January 6.
- Approximately 860 defendants have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. Of those, 91 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
- Approximately 59 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and approximately 36 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.
- More than 295 defendants have been charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, or attempting to do so.
- Approximately 50 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, either: (a) conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, (b) conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, (c) conspiracy to injure an officer, (d) seditious conspiracy, or some combination of the four.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/24-months-january-6-attack-capitol
Q) Who was pardoned or commuted?
Here is a partial list from Newsweek.
Enrique Tarrio: Chairman of Proud Boys -Convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Stewart Rhodes: Founder of Oath Keepers – Convicted of seditious conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, and tampering with documents. Sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Kelly Meggs: Convicted of seditious conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging their duties, and tampering with documents. Sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Kenneth Harrelson: Acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging duties, and tampering with documents. Sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Jessica Watkins: Convicted of obstructing an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, but acquitted of seditious conspiracy. Sentenced to 8.5 years in prison.
Roberto Minuta: Convicted of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress from discharging their duties. Sentenced to 4.5 years in prison.
Edward Vallejo: Convicted of seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress from discharging their duties. Sentenced to 3 years in prison, with the first year on home confinement.
Full List here:
Database: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965472049/the-capitol-siege-the-arrested-and-their-stories
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-january-6-prisoners-released-2018097
Q) What is the public reaction?
Before the pardons were announced – December 2024
After the announcement
ACTION: Call the White House (202/456-1111) to express your opposition or support for these pardons.
