Federal judges are pushing back against attempts to rewrite history after President Donald Trump’s mass pardons of January 6 Capitol riot defendants. Two federal judges issued strong statements this week emphasizing that while pardons may free defendants, they cannot alter the documented reality of what occurred during the violent assault on the Capitol.
Judges affirm historical record of January 6 events
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly emphasized that evidence of the January 6, 2021 assault remains preserved through “the neutral lens” of riot videos, trial transcripts, jury verdicts and judicial opinions. In her order, she stated, “Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.”
Judge Tanya Chutkan, in a separate ruling, declared that presidential pardons cannot change the “tragic truth” about the attack. She wrote that pardons cannot “whitewash the blood, feces, and terror that the mob left in its wake” or “repair the jagged breach in America’s sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power.”
Impact of Trump’s mass pardons
The pardons affected more than 1,500 defendants charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Among those released was Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, who had been serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy. Rhodes made headlines by visiting Capitol Hill immediately following his release.
Before Trump’s actions, the Justice Department’s investigation had resulted in nearly 1,600 people being charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 1,000 defendants had pleaded guilty, while approximately 250 were convicted at trial. More than 700 received prison sentences ranging from several days to 22 years.
Human toll of the Capitol assault
The attack resulted in significant casualties among law enforcement. More than 130 police officers suffered injuries during the riot. Four officers who defended the Capitol later died by suicide, and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died after confronting protesters, though medical examiners later determined natural causes.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly praised the courage of law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol, writing that they “acted valiantly to protect the Members of Congress, their staff, the Vice President and his family, the integrity of the Capitol grounds, and the Capitol Building-our symbol of liberty and a symbol of democratic rule around the world.”
