Dozens of Trump supporters who were convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 riot have said they hope to soon receive a pardon from the president-elect.
Donald Trump emerged victorious in the 2024 elections after sweeping the key states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
During his campaign, he had promised to “absolutely” forgive those involved in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, frequently referring to them as “patriots” and “hostages.”
When Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, he will have the authority to expunge these cases. If he were to grant broad pardons, he would repudiate the largest criminal investigation ever conducted by the Justice Department.
While Trump has not clarified the scope or implementation of these potential pardons, lawyers are already moving forward with filing the necessary paperwork.
Lawyers representing people convicted in connection with the January 6 riots are filing motions seeking pardons for their clients (pictured: Karen Jones).
During his campaign, Trump pledged to “absolutely” pardon some of the 1,500 supporters involved in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.
About 547 defendants were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees, including about 163 people charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious injury to an officer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Additionally, 140 police officers were assaulted at the Capitol on January 6, and around 11 people faced charges for assaulting members of the media or damaging their equipment during the events of that day.
In an interview with Time MagazineTrump said he would consider pardoning those who have been sentenced, including convicted by juries, for their actions on January 6.
Trump said he would begin issuing pardons on his first day in office, but he has not yet clarified what criteria his administration will use to evaluate cases, or whether nonviolent offenders will be treated differently than others.
‘I am inclined to forgive many of them. “I can’t say for every one of them because a couple of them probably got out of control,” Trump told CNN in 2023.
‘If someone was evil and evil, I would see it differently. “But a lot of those people came in, a lot of those people were escorted out. You see it on the tape, the police are ushering them in. They’re walking with the police,” Trump said.
One of those troublemakers was Karen Jones, who first spoke about her and her husband’s involvement during the comedy podcast Kill Tony, a show hosted by controversial comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, in June 2023.
Jones claimed that she and her husband, Robert Walter Jones, 72, had RSVPed to a “permitted event” called “Stop the Steal,” which she believed would just be a normal Trump rally.
“Violence has never been a part of anything I’ve been involved in and I don’t even own a gun,” Jones said.
But investigators said the pair crossed restricted boundaries, entered the Capitol and remained inside for about 30 minutes, even after they were ordered to leave.
Jones, 66, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor entering a restricted area and was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest, three years of probation, a $2,500 fine and $500 in restitution, plus $3,000 in statutory fines. previous.
Speaking to DailyMail.com about whether or not she will be forgiven, Jones said: “I don’t think I have to ask.” It’s coming.’
She added that her attorney contacted her and instructed her to begin completing paperwork for a pardon shortly after Trump was announced as the winner of the election.
Jones is currently represented by high-profile attorney Bob Sanger.
He told DailyMail.com that he is not sure whether the long, standard clemency application currently used by the Department of Justice will be necessary for cases related to January 6.
“I can say that, based on the president-elect’s comments (for example, on April 30, 2024, in his interview with Time), I believe there will be a process established by the new administration to process clemency requests from January 6 “Sager said.
‘We do not currently know if the existing cumbersome application form to the Department of Justice’s Pardon Office will be necessary. It is more geared toward people seeking discretionary pardons based, often, on post-conviction behavior.’
He also speculated that there could be an expedited pardon process, particularly for non-violent offenders.
Jones, who is currently under house arrest, said he was not allowed to vote in this year’s election as a result of his sentencing. But he said he still supports Trump.
“I spent election night for the first time in my life alone with the bracelet on my ankle,” she said.
‘It was so strange for me. He couldn’t wave flags on street corners or do Trump trains, but the judge said her intention was to make sure he sat out as many election cycles as possible.’
Karen Jones (left) and her husband (right) said her attorney contacted her and instructed her to begin filling out the pardon paperwork shortly after Trump was announced as the winner.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Jones, on whether she will be forgiven or not, said: “I don’t think I have to ask.” it’s coming’
Conservative influencer Isabella DeLuca was arrested in March for her role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, which included the theft of a table from the government building.
The Trump supporter was arrested in Irvine, California, and faces five charges, including theft of government property.
According to FBI documents, DeLuca was filmed “removing, and aiding and abetting other rioters in removing, a table” from a Capitol office identified as ST-2M, and then “passing it to rioters outside through another window.” rattan”.
The table was “subsequently used to assault law enforcement officers guarding the Lower West Terrace Tunnel,” according to the documents.
FBI agents were alerted to DeLuca’s involvement in the riot three days after the incident and interviewed her on January 21, the day after Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, his lawyer, Anthony Sabatini, said: ‘I hope that the new leaders of the Department of Justice will drop all pending charges; It is not a pardon, it is a voluntary dismissal of the criminal complaint currently pending against my client.’
David Nicholas Dempsey received the second-longest prison sentence of those convicted for his role in the insurrection. In January, Dempsey pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers with a dangerous weapon.
Court documents revealed that Dempsey was recorded on numerous videos on the lower west terrace of the Capitol on January 6.
Conservative influencer Isabella DeLuca has been arrested for her role in the January 6 Capitol riot, including the theft of a table from the government building.
Speaking to DailyMail, his lawyer, Anthony Sabatini, said: ‘I hope that the new leadership of the Department of Justice will drop all pending charges; “It is not a pardon, it is a voluntary dismissal of the criminal complaint currently pending against my client.”
He was seen wearing various outfits, most often a black shirt, a dark helmet, goggles and an American flag cloth covering much of his face, according to federal prosecutors.
In several photographs, Dempsey was shown wielding different objects, such as a crutch and a metal pole, either as blunt weapons or as projectiles directed at law enforcement officers defending the tunnel near the west terrace entrance.
Additional video evidence captured Dempsey apparently using pepper spray against police.
His lawyer, Amy Collins, said she doesn’t trust Trump to follow through on his pardon promises.
‘I am skeptical about any politician’s campaign promises. And this campaign promise seems very difficult to fulfill from a logistical point of view, among other things,” he told DailyMail.com.
“That being said, I always hope for the best outcome for all of my clients.”
David Nicholas Dempsey received the second-longest prison sentence of those convicted for his role in the insurrection.
His lawyer, Amy Collins, said she doesn’t trust Trump to follow through on his pardon promises. ‘I am skeptical about any politician’s campaign promises. And this campaign promise seems very difficult to fulfill from a logistical point of view, among other things,” he told DailyMail.com.
Christopher Carnell, a 21-year-old defendant from North Carolina, was convicted earlier this year of felonies and misdemeanors related to his role in the attack on the Capitol.
The day after Trump was declared the next president, Carnell requested that D.C. District Judge Beryl Howell delay the status hearing scheduled for later in the week, citing Trump’s earlier promises to pardon his supporters as the reason for the request.
“Throughout his campaign, President-elect Trump made multiple promises of clemency to the January 6 defendants, particularly those who participated nonviolently,” the document said.
‘Mister. Carnell, who nonviolently entered the Capitol at age 18 on Jan. 6, hopes to be relieved of the criminal proceedings he currently faces when the new administration takes office.
However, his request was denied.
Carnell’s attorneys contacted Trump’s office “regarding the expected timing and scope of clemency actions relevant to his case.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Trump’s campaign team for comment.