WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Among the flurry of executive actions expected from President Donald Trump in his first days back in the White House are pardons of defendants who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Since the deadly riot at the Capitol, 1,583 people have been criminally charged, according to data provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.
That includes 608 charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement; 174 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing bodily injury to an officer; and dozens charged with theft or destruction of government property.
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The defendants who didn't face those more serious charges were charged with trespassing or disorderly conduct related to entering the Capitol, the DOJ said.
Former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan, now a defense attorney in Palm Beach Gardens, represented a number of those defendants facing lesser charges.
"Any individual who may have engaged in conduct on Jan. 6 of 2021 that would have harmed a sworn law enforcement officer — or anybody in performance of their function to serve the United States of America and protect the U.S. Capitol — I do not in any way think that person should be pardoned," Kaplan said. "Someone who entered onto the Capitol or went into the Capitol without causing any damage, or — God forbid, harmed an individual — I think it's well deserved that those type of individuals should be pardoned."
While it's unclear what the scope and nature of any executive actions might look like, Kaplan said his clients are hopeful that they stand to benefit from the president's pen stroke.
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"Not only are they hopeful, I've been very hopeful as well," Kaplan told WPTV. "Especially because I have first-hand understanding of the amount of resources and effort that had been put into these prosecutions — not only vis a vis through the FBI, but as well through the United States Attorney's office — the amount of resources and money is unprecedented."
There are still roughly 300 criminal cases that have not been resolved, either by trial or guilty plea, according to the DOJ's data.
The FBI says its investigation into the attack on the Capitol is still ongoing. The agency said it's still accepting tips from the public and is actively looking for four named suspects for their alleged roles in the violence on Jan. 6.
Any pardons issued by President Trump would not be the first tied to the transition of power. In the hours before he left office, former president Joe Biden issued multiple pre-emptive pardons that included members of his family and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the now-retired director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic.
