Home Tech Capitol rioter’s son is terrified of his father’s release

Capitol rioter’s son is terrified of his father’s release

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Capitol rioter's son is terrified of his father's release

Almost four years to the day his father was arrested For his part in the January 6 riot at the Capitol, Jackson Reffitt watched in complete surprise as President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning and commuting the sentences of his father and 1,500 other insurrectionists.

Reffitt has spent most of the last four years in hiding, constantly on the move every few months. He was the person who notified the FBI about his father’s participation in the insurrection. Jackson’s father, Guy Reffitt, was a member of the Texas Three Percenter group when he stormed the Capitol wearing a bulletproof vest, a gun and zip ties. He was caught on camera urging other rioters to storm the Capitol building and told members of his militia group that he intended to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building by her ankles, “with your head banging on every step of the way down.”

“Trump himself has granted him a presidential pardon to set him free. That validation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will never have again,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I can’t imagine what he’s willing to do now. “It could get a lot worse.”

Reffitt is “terrified” of what will happen next and has armed himself with a pistol and a rifle to protect himself and his boyfriend. In recent years, he has been attacked, harassed and threatened online.

Since Trump pardoned everyone, the threats are becoming even more intense.

“(In the last 24 hours) it’s gotten worse than ever,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I think it’s just because, again, the validation that Trump is bringing is making people feel a lot more emboldened to just say some vile, disgusting shit.”

Reffitt is not the only family member of a prisoner released on January 6 who is concerned about the consequences of Trump’s blanket pardons. Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes, whose 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy was commuted by Trump, is also worried about what could happen. “Stewart is now out of prison and, frankly, I could use some management background, just in case the time comes.” Adams wrote on her GoFundMe page on Tuesday, hours after her ex-husband was released from prison.

The investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack became the largest in the Justice Department’s history and left many far-right militia groups in the country in ruins. But with a single stroke Monday night, Trump has revitalized the militia movement, freeing its most prominent figures, including Rhodes and Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio.

“One of the things that worries me most is the risk that the groups that were decimated after J6 will bounce back stronger, especially since many of them had their sentences commuted or were outright pardoned,” says researcher Luke Baumgartner. from George Washington University. Program on Extremism. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oath Keepers started making more appearances and to see the Proud Boys accelerate their culture war tactics, especially against the LGBTQ community, as we’ve seen before. Their leaders are free, have a lot to catch up on, and probably feel vindicated.”


Do you have advice?

Are you a family member of a January 6 prisoner who is being released? We would like to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, contact David Gilbert at david.gilbert@wired.com or securely on Signal at DavidGilbert.01


Guy Reffitt was the first rioter to stand trial for his actions on January 6 and was initially given a sentence of seven years and three months, which was reduced by seven months in December following a Supreme Court ruling that led to one charge being dismissed. obstructive. against him.

“I am a very strong patriot, with fabulous support from the Patriot Warriors, as we navigate turbulent waters,” Reffitt wrote to an acquaintance from jail in a text message presented by prosecutors at his resentencing in December.

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