Although he had announced that he would consider each case individually before pardoning those who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump actually did the exact opposite. On his first night in the White House, Trump signed about 1,500 amnesties for participants in the coup attempt. The US President did not hesitate to demonstrate his feelings on this issue, calling the convicted not prisoners, but "hostages" of the corrupt legal system, according to him.
Who are those that Trump pardons
Among the people who received a full amnesty from the new American president are also those convicted of particularly serious crimes, such as members of right-wing extremist militias such as the "Proud Boys". Some of them were convicted of conspiracy to commit incitement. The former leader of the "Proud Boys" Enrique Tario was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and is now returning home. The founder of the extremist militia "Oath Keepers" Stuart Rhodes was also sentenced to 18 years in prison on similar charges, and was released.
The creator of the darknet trading platform "Silk Road" Ross Ulbricht was also pardoned. His platform sells drugs, hacking software, and fake IDs. It is alleged that "Silk Road" was also used for money laundering. Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 on all these charges.
Trump called Ulbricht's conviction "absurd" and the prosecutors who worked on the case - "scumbags". According to the new US president, these were the same "crazy people" that the Biden administration used against him. Trump had promised to pardon Ulbricht back in May. The move is likely part of the president's efforts to support the crypto industry, where Ulbricht is particularly influential, as his platform was one of the first to trade bitcoin.
"Betrayed by his country"
Donald Trump has always portrayed himself as a supporter of law enforcement, even in situations where officers have been accused of using excessive force. But now, among those pardoned by him are people who were convicted of particularly serious assaults on police officers. "Trump will do everything he can to protect those who act in his name," historian Julian Zelizer told ZDF.
Among those released are the attackers of police officer Michael Fanone, who was brutally beaten, lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after the beating. Fanone told CNN that he felt "betrayed by his country" and by those who support Trump. After January 6, 2021, Fanone left the police force. He says that after testifying in the case, he received numerous threats that he and his family were not safe today. To protect them from potential persecution, Joe Biden issued a preventive amnesty for Michael Fanone and others who testified in the Capitol storming case.
Author: Catherine Brand (ARD)