WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Several of the defendants convicted in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots were freed Tuesday after President Trump issued pardons to nearly all of the participants.
On Monday, Trump announced that he granted roughly 1,500 “full, complete and unconditional pardons” for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. There have been 1,583 total defendants charged.
The pardons clear the way for potentially hundreds of his supporters to be released from prison in the coming days, some of whom were sentenced to years in prison for violently attacking law enforcement that day.
“It’s cool to be pardoned by a felon”
William Sarsfield, who was initially held in the D.C. jail before being transferred to Philadelphia, was among those released on Tuesday. He told NewsNation that he was let out of his cell around midnight but released until 3 a.m. He then drove to the D.C. jail to wait for others to be released, saying he’d stay all day if necessary.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Sarsfield attended a rally and made his way to the Capitol, claiming he was only at the west tunnel when he was arrested. He was charged with civil disorder and several misdemeanors.
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He hasn’t been sentenced, with his next court date on March 4.
A Texas native, Sarsfield owns a coffee shop he plans to return to.
He also said he’d thank Trump if given the chance, adding, “It’s cool to be pardoned by a felon.”
Proud Boys, Oath Keepers commuted
Trump also commuted the sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were charged with plotting to forcibly halt the peaceful transfer of power in 2020 to time served. However, former Proud Boys national chair Enrique Tarrio — who is serving a 22-year prison term, the longest handed down in connection with the attack — received a pardon.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers who is serving an 18-year prison term, is among those whose sentences were commuted to time served.
About 600 Jan. 6 defendants were accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding police. Ten defendants were convicted of sedition, the crown jewel of the Justice Department’s sprawling prosecution.
Biden pardons family members in final minutes of presidency
Trump’s signing came just hours after former President Biden in the eleventh hour of his presidency issued preemptive pardons for members and staff of the House Jan. 6 select committee, which investigated the riot.
The blanket pardons were granted to his brother, James Biden; his sister-in-law, Sara Jones Biden; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; his brother-in-law, John T. Owens; and his youngest brother, Francis Biden.
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Biden said the pardons do not acknowledge any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be viewed as an admission of guilt. They cover any nonviolent offense from Jan. 1, 2014, to Sunday.
The pardon for the Biden family members came after a number of them testified before the then-House Oversight and Accountability Committee as it investigated both President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in a probe of influence peddling.
While President Biden pardoned Hunter Biden in December, he had not yet done so for other family members, risking continued congressional oversight.
The Hill contributed to this report.
