Jan. 6, five years later: New reports trace the cost of pardons and power
Five years after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats are outlining what they say has changed and what hasn’t. New reports released Monday focus on sweeping Jan. 6 pardons, repeat criminal behavior, and the growing influence of people tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
What the reports say now
The reports, released by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, examine the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. They focus on two developments: mass pardons for Jan. 6 defendants and the reshaping of the Justice Department that handled those cases.
Trump issued blanket pardons and commutations for nearly all Jan. 6 defendants early in his second term. According to findings cited in the reports, at least 33 people who received clemency have since been charged, arrested or convicted of new crimes. Those cases include violent offenses, terroristic threats, child sexual abuse material and a deadly drunk-driving crash.
Among the examples cited: one man later charged with threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; another now serving a life sentence on unrelated charges; and others accused of crimes ranging from kidnapping to sexual assault.
Democrats argue the pattern cuts against traditional clemency standards, which typically emphasize time served, rehabilitation and individualized review.
A separate Straight Arrow News analysis reached a similar conclusion, finding that multiple people pardoned for Jan. 6 offenses were later charged with violent crimes, child sex offenses, terroristic threats and a deadly drunk-driving crash.
A warning about normalization
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the committee’s ranking member, said the pardons amount to more than forgiveness.
He warned they risk creating what he called “a private militia of proven street fighters,” describing the move as a public safety threat rather than an act of reconciliation.
The reports also track how some individuals connected to Jan. 6, including lawyers and activists tied to the “Stop the Steal” movement, have moved into positions of influence inside the Justice Department. One figure highlighted is Ed Martin, a former Jan. 6 defense attorney now serving as U.S. pardon attorney and leading a DOJ working group reviewing investigations tied to Trump.
At least 15 Justice Department prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases were fired after Trump returned to office, according to the committee. The reports say several struggled to find private-sector work afterward, citing fears among firms of political retaliation.
Police honored, but not officially
The reports also revisit the experience of law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol, including officers who were injured and required multiple surgeries.
A plaque honoring those officers was authorized by law, but it has never been formally installed inside the Capitol. According to lawmakers and reporters on Capitol Hill, the plaque remains in storage.
In response, about 100 members of Congress — mostly Democrats — have mounted replica versions of the Jan. 6 plaque outside their office doors. Lawmakers involved say the displays are meant to keep the history visible while the official plaque remains unseen.
One lawmaker backing the effort said remembering the day requires something tangible, a visible acknowledgment that cannot be boxed away.
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More than 1,500 people across the U.S. have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Competing views of Jan. 6
The White House pushed back on the reports, telling The Hill the focus on Jan. 6 reflects misplaced priorities and arguing the president was reelected to focus on border security, crime and the economy.
Trump has defended the pardons as necessary to correct what he calls the Justice Department’s political overreach. Democrats counter that the scale and scope of the clemency break sharply from past practice and blur the line between accountability and absolution.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
