The president-elect has vowed to issue pardons for many Jan. 6 defendants.
A former leader of the Proud Boys group who faces a 22-year prison term related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach asked President-elect Donald Trump to pardon him, according to a letter sent by his lawyer on Jan. 6.
More than 1,500 people across the United States have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol breach, while hundreds who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally.
The longest sentence, 22 years, went to former Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three others. In a letter addressed to Trump, a lawyer for Tarrio urged the president-elect to pardon the former Proud Boys chief.
“Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio was portrayed throughout the Government’s case as a right-wing extremist that promoted a neo-fascist militant organization,” his attorney wrote in the Jan. 6 letter, shared by Tarrio’s mother on social media platform X. “Henry is nothing more than a proud American that believes in true conservative values.”
The letter notes that Tarrio wasn’t at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after he was ordered out of Washington over an unrelated incident. Tarrio, his lawyer added, would honor the pardon with the “respect, gratitude, and integrity it deserves.”
Meanwhile, his attorney said Tarrio was targeted by the Biden administration for his political opinions instead of what the government has characterized as an attempt to subvert the 2020 election by using violence.
Aside from Tarrio, leaders of the Oath Keepers and other members of Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to President Joe Biden four years ago.
Trump, who has pledged to issue pardons for a number of Jan. 6 defendants, will be inaugurated in two weeks. He has not made any suggestions that he would pardon Tarrio, other Proud Boys members, or members of the Oath Keepers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is still considering charging up to 200 more people for their alleged involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capital on Jan. 6, 2021, according to figures released by the agency.
At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of Jan. 1. More than 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, and more than 700 received at least some time behind bars. The rest were given a combination of probation, community service, home detention, and fines.
The DOJ, in a report released on Jan. 6, said that the agency is still “evaluating close to 200 cases that have been presented … by the FBI, including over 60 cases that involve assaulting resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, both of which are felony offenses.”
“The FBI continues to receive tips about individuals who committed crimes at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and who have not yet been charged,” the DOJ stated. “This is consistent with FBI protocols on dealing with tips from citizens regarding a possible suspect involved in a federal crime.”
Despite Trump’s vows to issue the Jan. 6 pardons, court cases, sentences, and pleas have persisted in Washington’s federal courthouse. Trump has described certain individuals as “hostages” and “political prisoners” who were politically targeted and mistreated.
In a statement on Jan. 6, Attorney General Merrick Garland, who only has two weeks left in office, made note of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach by saying he is “thinking of the officers who still bear the scars of that day as well as the loved ones of the five officers who lost their lives in the line of duty as a result of what happened to them on January 6, 2021.”
“Over the past four years, our prosecutors, FBI agents, investigators, and analysts have conducted one of the most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in the Justice Department’s history,” Garland continued.
Last month, Trump provided some insight into the pardons by telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he would “be acting very quickly” on the “first day.” He noted there could be “some exceptions” to his pardons if the individuals had acted “radical” or “crazy” during the breach.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.