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Friday, Feb 13, 2026
Outside the box.
Trump Issues Clemency to Prominent January 6 Defendants
Former President grants pardons to more than 1,500 people and reduces sentences for 14 others connected to the Capitol attack.
On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced a broad clemency order, pardoning nearly all of the over 1,500 individuals convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and commuting the sentences of 14 others.
This decision impacted several notable figures, including key members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups.
Enrique Tarrio, the ex-chairman of the Proud Boys, received a full pardon. Previously, he had been sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, the lengthiest sentence related to the Capitol events. Tarrio was convicted of organizing the incidents but was not in Washington, D.C., on January 6.
Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, and Dominic Pezzola, leaders of the Proud Boys, had their sentences commuted. Biggs, Rehl, and Nordean were sentenced to 17, 15, and 18 years, respectively, for seditious conspiracy. Pezzola, who was sentenced to 10 years for assaulting a police officer and breaking a Capitol window, also received a commuted sentence.
Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, had his 18-year sentence commuted. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy for conspiring to use force to hinder the certification of the 2020 election results. Although he did not enter the Capitol, Rhodes was found guilty of amassing weapons nearby.
Kelly Meggs and Others: Kelly Meggs, a leader of an Oath Keepers chapter, had his 12-year sentence commuted, and his wife, Connie Meggs, was granted a full pardon. Fellow Oath Keepers Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, and Thomas Caldwell also had their sentences commuted. Watkins, who was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years, openly discussed her identity struggles during her trial.
Additional Oath Keepers Members: Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joseph Hackett, and David Moerschel, all found guilty of seditious conspiracy in a separate trial, had their sentences commuted. These sentences ranged from three to four-and-a-half years.
These pardons and commutations represent a major shift in the judicial outcomes for those implicated in the January 6 Capitol riot, which aimed to obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral win. Trump's actions have sparked renewed debate regarding how those involved in the events should be treated legally.
This decision impacted several notable figures, including key members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups.
Enrique Tarrio, the ex-chairman of the Proud Boys, received a full pardon. Previously, he had been sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, the lengthiest sentence related to the Capitol events. Tarrio was convicted of organizing the incidents but was not in Washington, D.C., on January 6.
Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, and Dominic Pezzola, leaders of the Proud Boys, had their sentences commuted. Biggs, Rehl, and Nordean were sentenced to 17, 15, and 18 years, respectively, for seditious conspiracy. Pezzola, who was sentenced to 10 years for assaulting a police officer and breaking a Capitol window, also received a commuted sentence.
Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, had his 18-year sentence commuted. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy for conspiring to use force to hinder the certification of the 2020 election results. Although he did not enter the Capitol, Rhodes was found guilty of amassing weapons nearby.
Kelly Meggs and Others: Kelly Meggs, a leader of an Oath Keepers chapter, had his 12-year sentence commuted, and his wife, Connie Meggs, was granted a full pardon. Fellow Oath Keepers Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, and Thomas Caldwell also had their sentences commuted. Watkins, who was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years, openly discussed her identity struggles during her trial.
Additional Oath Keepers Members: Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joseph Hackett, and David Moerschel, all found guilty of seditious conspiracy in a separate trial, had their sentences commuted. These sentences ranged from three to four-and-a-half years.
These pardons and commutations represent a major shift in the judicial outcomes for those implicated in the January 6 Capitol riot, which aimed to obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral win. Trump's actions have sparked renewed debate regarding how those involved in the events should be treated legally.
