Investing.com — President Trump pardoned nearly all of the 1,500 individuals charged in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. This move came just hours after former President Joe Biden granted immunity from prosecution to family members and other potential targets of the incoming administration.
The pardons, which fulfill a contentious campaign promise made by Trump, effectively cleared those who participated in an event that federal judges and prosecutors have labeled an attack on American democracy.
Upon his arrival at the White House, the new president confirmed the pardons, effectively erasing four years of prosecutions. This includes over 1,100 convictions in what Justice Department officials have called the largest investigation in U.S. history.
In addition to pardoning almost all of those charged, Trump also commuted the sentences of more than a dozen individuals. While in the Oval Office, Trump expressed his belief that those involved had been treated unfairly. He stated, “The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal.”
Trump further compared the punishment of those involved in the Capitol attack to other criminals, stating, “I see murderers from this country get two years, one year, and maybe no time, but they’ve already been in jail for a long time.”
Among those receiving clemency from Trump were leaders of far-right groups, including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. These individuals had previously been found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other offenses related to the Capitol attack.
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