It’s now been four years since a wave of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol, protesting the results of the election and halting the peaceful transition of power.
In total, roughly 1,5000 people were accused of taking part in the riots, and the Department of Justice has carried out a large-scale investigation to prosecute those responsible.
However, President-elect Trump, who will have his victory ratified today in Congress, has vowed to pardon those who were prosecuted. But does that include all who have been charged?
In the years since the riot, 1,580 defendants have been charged by prosecutors with crimes tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
Among those charged, 170 were accused of using deadly or dangerous weapons like fire extinguishers and bear spray against officers. Others were accused of conspiring to use force to resist the certification of the 2020 election. Some admitted to fighting police officers and attacking members of the media.
More than 1,000 of those charged pleaded guilty, and more than 200 were convicted in trial.
Trump shared during a sit down with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” in December that he is “inclined to pardon many” of those charged for what they did on Jan. 6, 2021, as they have “suffered long and hard.”
“These people have suffered. Their lives have been destroyed. And yet in Portland, where they burned down half the city, they burn it down all the time, it’s like a, you know, routine occurrence, they don’t do anything.”
However, Trump has acknowledged that some of those present “got out of control” and that they would look to see “if somebody was radical.” This has led some to believe that a blanket pardon for all may not be coming.
He also said this in November during an interview with Time magazine.
“I’m going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think they’ve been greatly punished,” Trump said.
The Justice Department has shared that 1,100 defendants have already had their cases fully adjudicated, with hundreds having already completed their prison sentences.
Still, prosecution continues, as the outgoing US attorney in Washington, DC, is continuing to bring new charges against defendants. Investigators are also still seeking at least five people involved in the riots.
“The Department continues to pursue those criminally culpable, especially those who assaulted law enforcement officers and engaged in disruptive or obstructive conduct that interfered with the peaceful transfer of power,” the US Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
However, this may soon come to an end with Trump’s promise of pardons.
But, not all are on board with Trump’s potential pardons. A former Capitol Police Sergeant, Aquilino Gonell, shared with the Washington Post that Trump’s pardon promise feels like “a betrayal.”
“It’s a betrayal, a stab in the heart,” Gonell said, adding that they have been calling on lawmakers and prosecutors to do what’s right since the riot.
“We’ve been seeking accountability for years,” Gonell added. “It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen.”
Presidential pardons remain essentially unchecked, giving the president the power to pardon any federal crime. Last month, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, garnering criticism from both his political opponents and allies.
In December, Biden also pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 people who had committed non-violent crimes, and the White House said they “demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”