President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned nearly all the rioters charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, wiping away criminal accountability and going further than some of his allies in Congress had suggested.
The sweeping proclamation, one of a blitz of actions from Trump on his first day back in office, commuted the prison sentences of 14 people convicted on more serious charges. And he granted a “complete and unconditional pardon” to “all other individuals” convicted for their roles in the attack during the congressional process to count electoral votes.
The attorney general should ensure all Jan. 6 defendants “who are currently held in prison are released immediately,” the proclamation states, and dismiss “all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct” related to the events.
