Jan. 6 committee recommends criminal charges against Trump
Posted by Thomas Bush / December 21, 2022In a first in American history, a congressional panel has recommended a president face criminal charges.
A man who claimed he was following Trump’s “orders” by storming the Capitol has been given a three year prison sentence.
A judge called Kyle Young a “one man wrecking ball” as she sentenced him to seven years in prison for participating in the Capitol riots.
Aaron Mostofsky, whose father is a New York City judge, has been sentenced to 8 months in prison for participating in the Capitol riot. The January 6 Select Committee issued subpoenas for 14 Republicans who were slated as “alternate” electors.
As more Capitol rioters are brought to trial, they are getting sentenced to jail time up to five years––despite their tears and expressions of remorse. For example, a Florida man who threw a fire extinguisher at police has been sentences to five years, the longest sentence yet handed down in the Capitol riots trials. The move comes amidst a call for stricter sentences. One federal judge is consistently giving people who stormed the Capitol on January 6 more time than prosecutors ask for, saying “There have to be consequences for participating in an attempted violent overthrow of the government, beyond sitting at home.”
The Capitol rioter who said she wanted to shoot Pelosi “in the friggin’ brain” has pled guilty to a misdemeanor for illegally protesting. Recently, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington has challenged the Justice Department’s punishments for the Capitol rioters, wondering why they are being fined $1.5m when taxpayers are footing a whopping $500 bill.
Paul Hodgkins, a crane operator from Florida, has the dubious honor of being the first felony sentenced in the Capitol riots. He will serve eight months in prison.
Meanwhile, Brandon Fellows will have to await his own trial for participating in the Capitol riots in jail. He originally was released on bail, but after leaving obscene voicemails on his probation officer’s phone and even calling the officer’s mother, bail was revoked.
Despite the litany of clearly seditious crimes committed by the January 6 riots (listed below), none of the Capitol rioters have been charged with treason. Investigators say that an ex-cop charged in the Capitol riots had a pipe bomb in his home, highlighting just how prepared (and violent) the attackers were.
The infamous “Zip Tie Guy” has been indicted for his role in the Capitol riots. Apparently, had a stash of weapons at his home––including a sniper rifle. Four more Oath Keepers have been indicted for participating in the Capitol storming. According to the charges, the Oath Keepers were hoping that Antiafa would show up, which would give Trump an excuse to declare martial law.
Federal prosecutors have said that members of the Oath Keepers likely stored weapons at a Comfort Inn in Arlington, Virginia before the Capitol riots in order to ready rapid response teams for the insurrection. The alleged leader of the Oath Keepers was in contact with the Proud Boys and similar groups before the Capitol riots, according to a court filing. U.S. prosecutors have claimed that the Oath Keepers founder, Stewart Rhodes, was in contact with rioters before, during, and after the Capitol riots, suggesting he was directing their activities.
Additionally, an FBI investigation has uncovered communication between a Proud Boys member and an associate in the Trump White House in the days before the January 6. This is in addition to the contact between Roger Stone and a Proud Boys leader.
The FBI has called the January 6 riots at the Capitol domestic terrorism. Nevertheless, the agency stopped short of blaming a single group or ideology for the attack, since there were several different of each involved.
More news.
Comments are off for this post.