January 6th Insurrectionists Reaping Rewards?

After attacking the US Capitol January 6th, 2021, insurrectionists are looking for compensation for their legal troubles. Mark McClosky, a former Illinois personal injury attorney, and man who pled guilty to a 4th degree misdemeanor assault in 2021 for holding an AR-15 on BLM protestors as they walked down the street outside his home, is representing three Jan 6th rioters. McClosky has put forth a proposal painting the rioters as victims, who should financially be compensated, for what he claims were unfair prosecutions.

Trump pardoned all of the Jan 6th rioters on his first day in office. During his campaign he referred to them as political prisoners, and has referred to Jan 6th as “a day of love.” Since then, he has allowed his newly appointed Department of Justice to dismiss numerous federal agents and prosecutors who had worked to hold the rioters accountable.

On January 6th 2021, as Congress met to certify the election results of the 2020 election, which named Joe Biden as the winner, a vicious mob of violent individuals attacked the US Capitol building, which houses Congress and the Senate. As they scaled walls, knocked down barricades, and attacked and assaulted Capitol police officers (many of whom had to be hospitalized, one of which later died) lawmakers and staff were forced to hide and cower in fear. After breaking into the Capitol building, they stormed into the Rotunda (the location where many former presidents have lied in state), vandalized offices and called for the hanging of VP Mike Pence. They smeared feces on the walls and urinated on the floor. Five people were killed, one of which was a Capitol police officer.

This attempted coup was later found to be a planned event. “The invasion of the US Capitol was stoked in plain sight.” – Pro Public reported. The FBI estimated 2000-2500 insurrectionists gained access to the Capitol with a mob of others outside. There were only 1400 officers on duty that afternoon, and the National Guard didn’t arrive until hours later.

January 6th was labeled a crime scene. As described by NPR: It was the site of a bloody struggle between officers and a violent mob of Trump supporters. In the words of Capitol Police Sgt Aquillino Gonell when he testified to Congress: “My fellow officers and I were punched, kicked, sprayed with chemical irritants by a violent mob… I could feel myself losing oxygen and recall thinking this is how I’m going to die – defending this entrance.” The injuries Sgt Gonell sustained that day required 2 surgeries and he has since made the life changing decision to retire from his position. His response to Republican lawmakers, some of whom he defended that day, and their downplaying of the severity of the violence of that afternoon, Gonell states: “All these elected officials, they don’t care about the officers. We did our job and gave them time to escape, to evacuate the building. And they seem to have forgotten the fear that Donald Trump’s mob made them feel.”

The Justice Department described Jan 6th as an act of domestic terrorism. Prosecutors estimate 140 officers were injured, one of whom was Brian Sicknick, who was attacked by a man with chemical spray. That evening Officer Sicknick collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where he died the next day from 2 strokes. Although, the medical examiner did not connect these instances, the timing of them seems more than coincidental.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump spoke person, who is now White House Press Secretary, said in a previous statement: “The American people did not fall for the Left’s fear mongering over January 6th. They re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin because they want him to unify our country through success, and that’s exactly what he will do.”

Since they have been pardoned by Trump, at least 10 insurrectionists have faced other criminal charges for nonrelated crimes. Some have since been found to have prior criminal records including rape and domestic violence. One was accused of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. The victim was 7 years old. Another had a criminal history of 38 prior convictions from assault with a deadly weapon, terrorist threats for threatening a police officer while under arrest for domestic assault from biting his wife in the forehead and punching her multiple times. As per prosecutors: “The only reliable method of protecting the community from this man in the future is to remove him from the community for as long as possible.”

In regard to Attorney Mark McClusky, lawyer for three of the insurrectionists: The NY Times reported that, “McClusky stated during a public social media meeting that he recently met with senior officials of the Justice Department and proposed a plan to establish a panel to award financial damages to the rioters, which was inspired by the appointment of a special master to disburse funds to victims of the September 11th 2001, terrorist attacks.”

Cites: NY Times, American Oversight, The Independent, NPR, Pro Public