One of the people who served jail time for taking part in the US Capitol riot four years ago has refused a pardon from President Donald Trump, saying: “We were wrong that day.”
Pamela Hemphill, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in prison, told the BBC that there should be no pardons for the riot on 6 January 2021.
“Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation,” she said.
“I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.”
Hemphill, who was nicknamed the “Maga granny” by social media users – in reference to Trump’s “make America great again” slogan – said she saw the Trump government as trying to “rewrite history and I don’t want to be part of that”.
“We were wrong that day, we broke the law – there should be no pardons,” she told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.
Trump’s decision to pardon or commute the sentences of nearly 1,600 people involved in the attempt to violently overturn the 2020 election came just hours into his presidency.
In a news conference on Tuesday at the White House, he said: “These people have already served years in prison, and they’ve served them viciously.
“It’s a disgusting prison. It’s been horrible. It’s inhumane. It’s been a terrible, terrible thing.”
However, the move has drawn an uneasy reaction from some Republican politicians.
Senator Thom Tillis, from North Carolina, said he “just can’t agree” with the move, adding that it “raises legitimate safety issues on Capitol Hill”.
Another Republican US senator, James Lankford from Oklahoma, told CNN: “I think we need to continue to say we are a party of law and order.”
He added: “I think if you attack a police officer, that’s a very serious issue and they should pay a price for that.”
Also among those pardoned was one of the riot’s most recognisable figures, Jacob Chansley, the self-styled QAnon Shaman, who was released from jail in 2023 after serving 27 months of his 41-month jail sentence.
He told the BBC that he heard the news from his lawyer while he was at the gym.
He added: “I walked outside and I screamed ‘freedom’ at the top of my lungs and then gave a good Native American war cry.”
Convicted US Capitol rioter Pam Hemphill has made headlines once again, this time for turning down a pardon from former President Donald Trump. Hemphill, who was sentenced to five years in prison for her involvement in the January 6th insurrection, made the decision to decline the pardon in a surprising move that has left many puzzled.
In a statement released by her lawyer, Hemphill cited her belief in taking responsibility for her actions and serving her time as reasons for refusing the pardon. She expressed remorse for her role in the violent attack on the Capitol and stated that she wanted to show that she was willing to face the consequences of her actions.
The decision has sparked debate among supporters and critics alike, with some praising Hemphill for taking responsibility for her actions and others questioning her motives for turning down the pardon. Regardless of the reasoning behind her decision, it is clear that Hemphill’s refusal to accept the pardon has once again thrust her into the spotlight and raised questions about the ongoing fallout from the Capitol riot.
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Convicted US Capitol rioter, Pam Hemphill, Trump pardon, Capitol rioter, US Capitol, Trump, pardon, Washington DC, insurrection, rioter, criminal justice, political news
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