By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Monday issued a sweeping clemency order, granting pardons to nearly all of the more than 1,500 defendants who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 and issued in the sentence changes of 14 others.
Here are some of the most high-profile defendants to receive pardons or sentence commutations.
HENRY ‘ENRIQUE’ TARRIO
Tarrio, the former chairman of the far-right Proud Boys, received a full pardon from Trump.
Tarrio was convicted of crimes including seditious conspiracy for his role in planning riots in the Capitol that sought to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s defeat in Trump’s 2020 election.
He was ordered to serve 22 years in prison – the longest sentence of any defendant on January 6.
Unlike his co-defendants at trial, Tarrio was not in Washington, DC on the day of the Capitol attack.
JOSEPH BIGGS, ZACHARY REHL, ETHAN NORDEAN AND DOMINIC PEZZOLA
Biggs, Rehl and Nordean all played leadership roles in the Proud Boys and were tried alongside Tarrio for seditious conspiracy and other crimes.
The three received some of the longest prison terms given to defendants until January 6: Nordean got 18 years, Biggs got 17 and Rehl got 15.
Pezzola, who was accused of attacking former Capitol Police Officer Mark Ode by stealing his riot shield and using it to break a Capitol window, was sentenced to 10 years. He was the only defendant in the trial who did not hold a leadership position in the Proud Boys.
Trump commuted their sentences.
ELMER STEWART RHODES
Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers militant group. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy.
Rhodes was unable to enter the US Capitol on January 6, but was found guilty of conspiring to use force against Congress to prevent the certification of the election. He is also accused of helping to stockpile weapons at a hotel in nearby Virginia that could be ferried across the river to Washington.
Rhodes expressed no remorse for his sentence and vowed to “expose the criminality of this regime” from his prison cell. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Trump commuted his sentence.
KELLY MEGGS
Meggs was a chapter leader of the Oath Keepers from Florida who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes. His wife Connie was also charged, and later convicted in a separate trial for her role in the Capitol attack.
Trump on Monday commuted Kelly Meggs’ 12-year prison sentence. His wife, like most of the other defendants on January 6, received a pardon.
KENNETH HARRELSON, JESSICA WATKINS AND THOMAS CALDWELL
Fellow Oath Keepers Harrelson, Watkins and Caldwell went on trial with Rhodes and Kelly Meggs on criminal charges of seditious conspiracy.
The jury acquitted them of that charge, but convicted them of several other crimes. Trump commuted the sentences of all three on Monday.
Watkins, a transgender woman who during the trial spoke openly about the struggles she faced with her identity while serving in the military, was sentenced to 8.5 years, while Harrelson received four years.
Caldwell, who was not an official member of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced earlier this month to time served on one count of tampering with evidence.
His conviction for obstructing an official proceeding was previously overturned after a US Supreme Court ruling narrowed the way the law can be used to indict defendants.
ROBERTO MINUTA, EDWARD VALLEJO, JOSEPH HACKETT AND DAVID MOERSCHEL
Minuta, Vallejo, Hackett and Moerschel were a group of Oath Keepers tried and convicted in a separate trial from Rhodes on charges of seditious conspiracy.
Hackett was sentenced to 42 months while Moerschel got three years. Minuta, meanwhile, was sentenced to 4-1/2 years and Vallejo got three.
Trump commuted their sentences.