Former Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes have been released from prison, as President Donald Trump sets free more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the US Capitol riot four years ago.
Within less than 24 hours of Trump signing orders to pardon or commute sentences of those convicted of trying to violently overturn the 2020 election, the riot’s two most prominent leaders left prison. Trump is also dismissing charges against those charged for the riot.
“My son, Enrique Tarrio, has been released officially as of now!” Zuny Tarrio posted on X on Tuesday.
Rhodes, who was not pardoned but had his sentence commuted, told local media he was waiting outside the Washington jail for defendants to be released.
Rhodes, a former US Army paratrooper and Yale-educated lawyer, had been charged for leading a contingent of his Oath Keepers members to Washington.
Though Rhodes did not enter the Capitol, he directed his members from outside, and was sentenced in 2023 to 18 years in prison.
Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy – a rarely used charge of planning to overthrow the government – over the riot. He was not in Washington DC during the riots but directed others involved.
He received a sentence of 22 years, one of the longest given.
Amid the pardons and commutations, Trump also signed an order directing the Department of Justice to drop all pending cases against suspects accused in the riot.
A leading advocate for those defendants – Edward R Martin – was also made the acting US Attorney for Washington DC, showing the depth of Trump’s desire to end the years-long prosecutions. The Washington office was in charge of trying the cases connected to 6 January.
Democrats have condemned the release of more than 1,000 people as an attempt to rewrite history and sanitise the violence of the riot which led to multiple deaths.
Trump has described the day as “peaceful” and the jailed or imprisoned rioters as “hostages”.
By BBC News
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