Senator Ankit Jain Condemns Pardons for January 6th Insurrectionists

(Washington, D.C.)—United States Senator Ankit Jain (D-D.C.) has issued a written statement about the 1,500 pardons granted by President Donald J. Trump on the first day of his second term in the White House:

“President Trump’s pardons of the violent, cop-killing January 6th insurrectionists is despicable. January 6th was an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power and end American democracy in our country, and those who participated must be held accountable.

It was not only an attack on our democracy, but also on the District of Columbia. Many D.C. residents were barricaded in their offices that day, several officers of the Metropolitan Police Department died, and all of D.C. had to deal with the traumatic consequences of what the insurrectionists did to our hometown.

While much media attention will focus on the pardons, we cannot ignore the violent insurrectionists in the D.C. jail awaiting trial who are about to go free. Among them are an insurrectionist who went armed to January 6th, shot his gun during the riot, and killed a man afterwards. Another brother-sister duo assaulted police officers and became fugitives of justice to avoid arrest. Several of these violent insurrectionists have made specific threats against D.C. residents and have family-owned houses in the District.

These dangerous insurrectionists will be released into the District thanks to President Trump. I greatly fear the consequences of these pardons both for D.C. residents and for the strength of our democracy. But I know our nation and our nation’s capital are both strong and am hopeful we can surmount even this.”

You may contact the office of Senator Jain if you would like to speak with D.C. residents assaulted and threatened by the January 6th insurrectionists. The following is a quote from January 6th counter-protester and former D.C. Council candidate, Patricia Eguino:

“I have witnessed on January 6th and many times throughout the years the havoc and danger that these insurrectionists have wrought on D.C. It was not only one day four years ago that they terrorized our community; it has been an ongoing series of stalking incidents, assaults, and death threats that have been inflicted on D.C. residents by these rioters. Now that President Trump is pardoning all the ‘J6-ers,’ I truly fear for the safety of our community.”