A doctor who is a leader in the anti-vaccine movement was sentenced to two months in prison on Thursday for storming the U.S. Capitol, according to the Department of Justice.
The big picture: Simone Gold was sentenced to two months in jail and one year of supervised release for her role in the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, and was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine and $500 restitution.
- Gold, who is from California, delivered speeches to rioters that day, according to court documents.
- She had traveled to Washington D.C. from Tampa, Florida the day before to speak out against COVID-19 lockdowns and to promote the use of hydroxychloroquine.
What they're saying: Gold told the judge that she regrets her actions that day and had not intended to get involved in something that was “so destructive to our nation," AP reports.
- "It's the opposite of who I am," she said, adding that her reputation was "utterly shredded."
Flashback: After the Jan. 6 riot, Gold told the Washington Post that she didn't witness any violence at the Capitol and she didn't think she was breaking any laws.
- "I can certainly speak to the place that I was, and it most emphatically was not a riot," Gold said.
- "Where I was, was incredibly peaceful."