Trump signs pardons for January 6 defendants
Trump signs pardons for January 6 defendantsREUTERS/Carlos Barria

US President Donald Trump on Monday issued pardons to over 1,000 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, while also commuting the sentences of leaders from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

The commutations apply to the sentences of 14 prominent members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted or charged with seditious conspiracy, according to CNN.

Alongside these commutations, Trump extended full clemency to hundreds of individuals already convicted of serious crimes, such as assaulting police officers and damaging property, in their attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

The pardons, described as “full, complete and unconditional,” include individuals convicted of some of the most violent acts during the Capitol attack. Among them are Julian Khater, who attacked US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with chemical spray; Devlyn Thompson, who assaulted a police officer with a metal baton; and Robert Palmer, who used a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole to attack law enforcement.

Pardons, while restoring civil rights such as voting and gun ownership, do not erase criminal records or overturn convictions. Commutations, on the other hand, can reduce or eliminate prison sentences but do not restore civil rights or absolve the underlying offense.

Trump said last March that one of his first actions if he is reelected would be to free rioters imprisoned for their actions on January 6, 2021.

In January of 2022, he said, "If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6th fairly. We will treat them fairly. And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly."

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) later distanced himself from Trump’s suggestion and said the comments are “inappropriate.”