January 6 Pardons, Officer Reactions, and Post-Event Developments

On January 20, 2025, during his second inauguration, former President Donald Trump issued pardons for approximately 1,500 individuals convicted for their actions at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This decision has drawn reactions from law enforcement officers involved in the events, while House Judiciary Committee Democrats released reports detailing subsequent administrative changes and examining the impact of the pardons.

Presidential Pardons and Official Statements

President Donald Trump issued pardons for an estimated 1,500 individuals who had been convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol. President Trump referred to these pardoned individuals, including those convicted of violence against police, as "patriots" and "hostages." He described their convictions for harming officers and breaching the building as "a grave national injustice."

Former Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, who reported being injured during the January 6 events, stated he received notifications from federal prosecutors, FBI agents, and the federal Bureau of Prisons regarding the pardons, along with advice to "be mindful."

Law Enforcement Officers' Reactions

Several officers who were present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, have commented on the pardons and the broader context of the events:

• Aquilino Gonell, former Capitol Police Sergeant, stated that the pardons, along with other efforts, minimized his actions and the violent nature of the events. He reported losing his career and health, and expressed efforts to regain his life. He also stated he has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder related to the events.
• Daniel Hodges, a Metropolitan Police Department officer, described the period following January 6 as "a difficult year," stating that "a lot of things are getting worse."
• Adam Eveland, a former District of Columbia police officer, considered President Trump’s pardons "wrong" and suggested that each case should have been reviewed individually.
• Winston Pingeon, a former Capitol Police Officer, characterized the pardons as having "erased what little justice there was."
• Officers Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges reported receiving threats and being labeled "crisis actors" following the events.

Over 140 police officers were reported injured during the January 6 events. Officers interviewed stated that a primary challenge has been the perceived effort to downplay the violence, despite extensive video and photographic documentation. Gonell and Hodges have publicly discussed their experiences, including testifying before a House committee in July 2021 and a Republican-led Senate hearing in October.

The January 6, 2021, Events

On January 6, 2021, hundreds of individuals supporting then-President Trump breached the U.S. Capitol building while Congress was certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Sergeant Gonell was among the officers defending the West Front entrance, where he reported being dragged into the crowd and experiencing near suffocation. He testified in court about sustaining injuries to his shoulder and foot, which he stated continue to affect him.

Officers Fanone and Hodges, along with other law enforcement personnel, encountered significant force within a tunnel area, where they were outnumbered by individuals equipped with items such as flagpoles, stun guns, crutches, police shields, and chemical sprays.

NPR Investigations has created a public database, the January 6 archive, which tracks arrests, charges, verdicts, and sentences related to the events. This archive includes police body camera footage, surveillance video, and other courtroom evidence.

Post-Event Administrative and Departmental Developments

House Judiciary Committee Democrats released two reports ahead of the five-year anniversary of January 6, examining subsequent developments.

The reports addressed the administration's termination of Justice Department officials who had prosecuted January 6 participants during the subsequent Biden administration. According to the committee, at least 15 Justice Department prosecutors involved in the January 6 investigations were terminated after President Trump returned to office. The reports indicate that some of these individuals encountered difficulties securing private-sector employment and returned to public service as state and local prosecutors.

The reports also examined appointments of individuals connected to January 6 and actions related to the 2020 election outcome. Attorney Ed Martin, who supported the "Stop the Steal" movement and represented several defendants charged in the January 6 events, was highlighted. After his nomination as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia was not confirmed by the Senate in May, he was subsequently appointed U.S. pardon attorney and tasked with leading the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group. This group, launched by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was established to review the actions of officials who investigated President Trump at both state and federal levels. The House Judiciary Committee Democrats' reports characterized Martin as a "fervent Jan. 6 apologist" and asserted that his appointment to oversee clemency constituted "the complete institutional validation of political violence," stating the administration not only forgives but "celebrates them and validates them for the future." A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Former Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, who assumed his role six months after the event, oversaw improvements within the department. These included establishing wellness and counseling services for officers, and implementing changes in training, equipment, operational planning, and intelligence. Chief Manger stated that the Capitol is now considerably safer, asserting that if a similar event occurred, the building would not be breached, and the electoral count would not be disrupted. Former officer Winston Pingeon corroborated that the department is significantly altered from its state on January 6.

A plaque honoring officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 has not yet been displayed, despite a federal law requiring it. The committee reports that the plaque remains in storage inside the Capitol.

Prosecutorial Data and Recidivism

The House Judiciary Committee Democrats' reports cited findings from the nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), indicating that at least 33 pardoned January 6 defendants have since faced new charges, arrests, or convictions. Noteworthy cases cited include:

• Christopher Moynihan: Later charged with threatening House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Moynihan pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.
• Edward Kelley: Serving a life sentence on unrelated charges.

The reports assert that President Trump's actions enabled individuals to commit new offenses. Of approximately 1,583 defendants charged in connection with the January 6 events, 608 faced charges for assaulting, resisting, or interfering with law enforcement. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, roughly 174 of these 608 individuals were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious injury to an officer.