Credited from: LATIMES
WASHINGTON — Thousands of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol following his loss in the 2020 presidential election. Four years later, some of these individuals are permitted to return to the nation’s capital to celebrate Trump's return to the White House. At least 20 defendants, charged with or convicted for participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, have sought federal judges’ permission to attend President-elect Trump's second inauguration on Monday, January 20, according to an Associated Press review of court records.
The majority have been granted permission, while several others have not. Justice Department prosecutors have generally argued that Capitol riot defendants should not return to the scene of their crimes during their period of court supervision. “What’s past is prologue, and the defendants could easily find themselves in another situation where they engage in mob violence,” a prosecutor stated when opposing a travel request made by a New York couple.
At least 11 defendants have received court approval to attend the inauguration, coinciding with a day when Trump is expected to issue widespread pardons for Capitol rioters. Requests made by at least seven others, however, have been denied. Many convicted Capitol rioters can attend if they have completed their sentences. Generally, individuals still under court supervision must obtain judicial approval to travel outside their home district.
Among those permitted to attend is Deborah Lynn Lee, a Pennsylvania woman charged with posting incendiary social media messages advocating for the execution of her political opponents leading up to the riot. Lee, convicted of four misdemeanors last October, is awaiting sentencing on January 27. Prosecutor Carlos Valdivia argued that her return poses a danger to Capitol police and risks creating “an absurd situation.” Nevertheless, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui approved her request, indicating Lee “is coming to celebrate, not demonstrate.”
Another couple, Carol and Kevin Moore, were also granted permission to attend the inauguration despite pending trial, with Judge John Bates stipulating that the presence of the couple would likely not re-traumatize the officers present at the event. Bates emphasized, “First, past is not prologue here,” asserting that the inauguration’s atmosphere would be markedly different from the events of January 6.
The Moores plan to join others in displaying signs advocating for Trump to keep his campaign promise of pardoning Capitol rioters, whom he has referred to as “hostages” and “patriots.”
Other defendants cleared to attend include a New Jersey man who proactively reported himself to the FBI and a New Hampshire woman facing a four-month prison sentence.
Meanwhile, several individuals remain barred from attending the inauguration, including Jared Miller, a Virginia man charged with assaulting police during the Capitol riot. His attorney argued that this inauguration poses a distinctly different scenario than the turbulence of 2021 when supporters clashed with law enforcement, asserting that the crowd would now be assembled to cheer rather than to confront authority. However, District Judge Rudolph Contreras denied Miller’s request, citing the severity of his charges.
In a similar vein, Russell Taylor, who was armed when participating in the initial breach of the Capitol’s police line, was invited by a former Republican congressman to attend the inauguration. Yet, District Judge Royce Lamberth, who previously sentenced Taylor to home detention, deemed it inappropriate for someone who had attempted to disrupt the last presidential inauguration to be present at one honoring the peaceful transfer of power. “To attend the Presidential Inauguration, which celebrates and honors the peaceful transfer of power, is an immense privilege,” Lamberth noted.
Other defendants, including individuals charged with various violent acts during the Capitol riot, have also seen their travel requests denied.
For further details, read more from HuffPost and the Los Angeles Times.